If Matt LaFleur's job is in jeopardy after a postseason loss to the Bears – albeit one in humiliating fashion – then none of us are safe. LaFleur has a litany of references in his favor, including the development of Jordan Love and a couple of NFL MVPs to Aaron Rodgers' name, among others. He's one of the best offensive minds in the NFL and part of the Sean McVay coaching tree. LaFleur is everything NFL teams are searching for in a coaching cycle short of offensive-minded head coaches.
But LaFleur's options might not be limited to just teams with an opening. Rather, NFL teams that previously decided to keep their coach around could reverse course, and quickly.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts opted to keep Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard thanks to their relationship with new owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon. Indianapolis got off to a hot start to the season thanks to Daniel Jones and an elite rushing attack headlined by Jonathan Taylor. Steichen deserves some credit for that, just as he has to wear their second-half collapse.
It was Steichen's decision to bring in Philip Rivers, ancient in NFL QB terms, to try and right the ship down the stretch. I admire his confidence in a man just shy of an AARP card, but despite the amazing storyline, it unsurprisingly did not work.
It's highly unlikely the Colts undergo a regime change this offseason unless they know LaFleur is an option for them. That opens up all kinds of doors, but I'd argue Ballard has too much of a say in the organization these days to make such a move. LaFleur is a better coach than Steichen, playoff collapses and all. So is John Harbaugh, and you don't see the Colts giving him a call just yet. That's all we need to know.
Cincinnati Bengals
Consider me a Zac Taylor hater. I've been on that bandwagon for years now. Yes, I do take joy in watching the Cincinnati Bengals falter, but I don't like that Joe Burrow is a bystander. Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in football, and he is inherently lovable. He has more swagger is his finger than I do in my entire body.
Burrow deserves better, and dare I say Bengals fans do as well. But Cincinnati ownership is forever content with good enough, and spends far too much time looking at the bottom line rather than the numbers that actually matter. Taylor rode Burrow to a Super Bowl in 2021. He hasn't done anything since to prove he can overcome life without his star quarterback.
As great as Burrow is, he is also injury-prone. He's missed 16 games in the last three seasons. That hasn't helped Taylor's chances, but if there is one coach who can overcome an injury to the most important position in the NFL, it is LaFleur, who has turned Malik Willis from a third-round castoff into one of the top free-agents-to-be this offseason. Sign me up.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
How the Buccaneers failed to win THIS NFC South after their hot start is beyond me. Halfway through the season, Baker Mayfield was in the MVP discussion. Then, the bottom fell out of the Bucs season. Some of that has to fall on Todd Bowles, surely.
Bowles is a proven head coach who, much like LaFleur, has the references to back him up. Under normal circumstances, it'd take more than one bad year to send Bowles packing. But, as this article suggests, these aren't normal circumstances.
If LaFleur is available, he'd make good on that Mayfield MVP bet. The NFC South is a remarkably winnable division each and every year, and the Buccaneers have the most talented roster. There's no excuse for watching the postseason from home, and Bowles only won a Super Bowl piggy-backing on Tom Brady's shoulders as defensive coordinator.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Each and every year, I write some form of the following column: Steelers are as bad at breakups as I am, which is why Mike Tomlin will stay. That's a literal headline.
Then, I went to the Steelers game against the Ravens last Sunday night, and Pittsburgh earned a playoff berth thanks to a missed 44-yard field goal by Baltimore rookie kicker Tyler Loop. John Harbaugh was fired as a result. It's unlikely Pittsburgh would've taken the same step with Tomlin had that kick gone through the uprights, which makes it even more unlikely they'll part ways should the Steelers lose to the Houston Texans on Monday night.
As impressive as Tomlin's winning-season streak is, his teams have a high floor and an extremely low ceiling. The same cannot be said of LaFleur, who comes from a far different background. LaFleur could also team up with Aaron Rodgers for one last run at Super Bowl glory, which ought to entice the NFL script writers.
Best of the rest: Buffalo Bills
I list this as best of the rest because it remains very, very unlikely that Sean McDermott is fired in Buffalo. Josh Allen seems to love him, and he's done a great job resetting on the fly following his quarterback's massive, franchise-altering contract. However, we can't deny the obvious.
The Bills Super Bowl window is closing quickly. Buffalo has also, again, never won a Super Bowl. Allen is doing Allen things, and will keep the Bills in just about any game they play in. This postseason, they don't have to worry about Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson. While falling short of a Super Bowl appearance would undoubtedly impact Allen's legacy – fair or not – it could also be the final straw for McDermott.
Considering what LaFleur has done with Rodgers and Love, his offense would be borderline unstoppable with Allen in tow. That does not mean he's the perfect hire, nor that he'd lead the Bills to Super Bowl glory. But it is a change, which this team might need more than any other should they fall short in the postseason.