Coaches get fired every year. That's just how life works. There are a certain number of wins and losses available in an NFL season, and someone is always bound to surprisingly end up on the wrong side of that equation, leading to their team deciding to move on.
The keyword here is "surprisingly," so I won't mention Aaron Glenn and Brian Schottenheimer below, since I would guess most people expect that those two guys are on the hot seat entering this season.
Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
Dan Quinn can be forgiven for Washington's 2025 struggles. The team was without quarterback Jayden Daniels for much of the season and just wasn't able to live up to the charmed 12-5 finish from 2024. But the defensive struggles were a concern, considering Quinn comes from a defensive background. The team allowed more yards than anyone else in the league and had the second-fewest takeaways to boot.
The recipe for a Quinn firing is simple: If the Commanders finish under .500 and the defense doesn't show improvement while Daniels starts to look like he's being held back by this current regime, then it will be time for Washington to look for a new head coach.
Here's the thing with Quinn, though: His track record as a head coach is super, super inconsistent. He's coached parts of eight seasons in the NFL and has just three finishes over .500. He earned the Washington job off the strength of his showing as the Cowboys defensive coordinator, but the defense hasn't been a strength so far in Washington. Maybe he's just better suited for a DC role?
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles has been the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four seasons and has made three playoff appearances, so why have him on this list? Because in all but one of those years, he made the playoffs with single-digit wins — and probably only got there by virtue of playing in an NFC South that's been on the skids for the past decade.
Bowles has been an NFL head coach for nine seasons. He's won 10 games just twice. Not at least 10 games — just 10 of them. He never led his team to a playoff appearance until he arrived in Tampa, and while some of that can be blamed on him coaching a hapless New York Jets franchise for four years, I think you also have to put at least some of the blame on him.
The Buccaneers are going through some transition this year with franchise legend Mike Evans gone. If Bowles can overcome that and get Tampa back to the postseason, great. If Baker Mayfield continues to regress after a strong start to his tenure and the Buccaneers finish under .500 again, it will likely be time to make a move.
Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have had success under Nick Sirianni. No one's going to deny that. I mean, the dude won a Super Bowl in 2024, and the Eagles have made the postseason in every year that he's been Philly's head coach.
But something has felt off lately. The team was one-and-done in the playoffs last season, and there were clearly some issues between Sirianni and wide receiver A.J. Brown that ultimately led to Brown being traded to the New England Patriots this offseason.
If the Brown trade puts an end to the dysfunction and the Eagles cruise to another NFC East title, Sirianni will be safe. But if that dysfunction remains in 2026 and the team disappoints in a division that's been steadily improving, the Eagles will have some serious questions to ask themselves when the offseason arrives — especially if they miss out on a wild card as well.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
I don't even think this one should be controversial. Yes, Zac Taylor is a good offensive mind, but the Cincinnati Bengals have too much talent to be playing the way they have over the last three seasons.
Cincinnati was 9-8 in both 2023 and 2024, then plummeted to 6-11 last season, the third time the team has finished under .500 under Taylor. The passing offense has been elite during much of his tenure, but the rushing attack has been inconsistent and the defense has been bad, especially over the past three years.
At some point, this team has to do something with its talent. The Bengals looked like perennial Super Bowl threats for a two-year span, but now, getting back to the big game feels almost like an unattainable goal. Taylor needs to win double-digit games in 2026. If not, the Bengals need to think long and hard about how they might be wasting Joe Burrow's prime.
Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Kevin O'Connell is widely viewed as a good head coach, but what if he just lucked into having Sam Darnold in 2024? What if last year's 9-8 season is closer to what we can usually expect from O'Connell, and what if the move to bring in Kyler Murray backfires and the Minnesota Vikings finish under .500?
Sure, we can't blame the struggles to find a quarterback on O'Connell alone. The front office is far more to blame for that. But if the Vikings have another disappointing year and opt to seek out a new, young quarterback for 2027, why keep the same head coach around?
Sometimes, good coaches just don't work out in certain spots. I'm a believer in Kevin Stefanski, but it was clear things would never work for him in Cleveland. O'Connell would have plenty of suitors if the Vikings opted to make a change this postseason.
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