Ranking the 9 NFL coaches on the hot seat
The NFL coaching carousel is getting ready for a whirl
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The end of the season is weeks away and we all know what that means: Coaches getting fired. The NFL is no different than college football, so we’re taking a look at some of the head coaches who could be out of a job come early January.
9. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
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This isn’t a case of actual heat on the seat for the great Pete Carroll as much as whether the sands in his Seahawks hourglass are simply draining. Who knows, will be the coach or Russell Wilson to eventually leave the Northwest? Either way, it is a prime example of how difficult keeping a coaching job is in the NFL.
8. Robert Saleh, New York Jets
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There is plenty of room on the fuse for the Jets’ rookie coach. However, given the franchise’s sorry history, it never hurts to get ahead of the curve and name-drop him when Gang Green is off to a 3-9 start.
7. David Culley, Houston Texans
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Let’s hope David Culley gets another year, and more. It isn’t his fault the Houston Texans are a colossal mess. They have a great quarterback who is going to make millions and millions… just to stay on the sidelines this season. Deshaun Watson the difference-maker for this team.
6. Urban Meyer, Jacksonville Jaguars
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This felt like an odd couple from the git-go. And then you watch all these high-profile college jobs open and wonder what Urban Meyer is thinking as the Jaguars lose week after week. What if Chip Kelly returns to Oregon? Could UCLA be attractive to the Jags’ coach? Probably not because USC is the dominant college team in Los Angeles and it doesn’t appear anything any Bruins coach could do to flip that. (Right?)
5. Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers
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The firing of Joe Brady during the off-week is a sign there is trouble in Pantherdise. Rhule is either asserting his authority, or showing signs that the step up from college to the NFL isn’t as magical as it is cracked up to be for some people. Still early, but worth watching as the Panthers head down the stretch in 2021.
4. Rich Bisaccia, Las Vegas Raiders
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Rich Bisaccia was put in an impossible situation when the Raiders jettisoned Jon Gruden. The interim title doesn’t guarantee anything other than finishing out the year. There was a quick start, but the Raiders have gone into their second-half doldrums. So don’t be surprised if a big name winds up being courted.
3. Mike ZImmer, Minnesota Vikings
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Talk about a team that can’t decide what it wants to be. There are times the Vikings look like they will crush opponents…only to lose the momentum, which opens a frenzy like Thursday against the Steelers. They also can fall behind early and scramble to catch up. Either way, this is going to catch up with Mike Zimmer sometime.
2. Joe Judge, New York Giants
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The Giants are almost as bad as the Jets, which is a supreme indictment on the work Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge have done in putting this team and game plans together. A major crack saw Jason Garrett fired. Was that move made to avoid the inevitable dismissal of a head coach? Probably without a sizzling finish.
1. Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears
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The Bears coach has gone in reverse since his first season. This team is going nowhere fast—and Matt Nagy may be going somewhere else quickly when the NFL regular season ends.
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