5 NFL coaches who could be fired during the 2019 season

DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts to the play of his team against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter of the Broncos' 24-17 win on Sunday, November 25, 2018. The Denver Broncos hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /

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ASHBURN, VA- DECEMBER 31: Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden at his 2018 season closing press conference at Redskins Park in Ashburn, VA on December 31, 2018. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

2. Jay Gruden

Jon Gruden might be more of a punchline in NFL circles, but it’s his brother Jay that could lose his job in 2019. His roster might not be good enough to be projected as a playoff team, but that isn’t going to change Daniel Snyder’s expectation that Gruden can produce a postseason berth.

The biggest question Gruden has to answer in 2019 is who will play quarterback for the Redskins. The franchise spent a first round pick on Dwayne Haskins, but it’s unlikely he’ll be ready to play Week 1. That means Gruden will likely need to rely on either Colt McCoy or Case Keenum to pilot his team through the first half of the 2019 season.

The NFL is a league where bad quarterback play gets coaches fired on a regular basis. In many ways, Gruden might be best served to throw Haskins into the lineup right away. That would give him a reasonable excuse for the team’s probable struggles. Playing either McCoy or Keenum isn’t going to buy the Redskins’ head coach any extra time on the job.

The competition Washington will face in the NFC East isn’t going to help Gruden either. It’s difficult to envision the Redskins finishing ahead of either the Cowboys or Eagles. If they fall out of contention in the division early in the season, Gruden will get the axe from Snyder.