5 NFL Coaches Most Likely to Be Fired After This Season
The NFL season is rapidly drawing to a close, which means some teams are gearing up for the postseason, while others are shifting their focus to the offseason. It also means we're just a few weeks away from some head coaches getting fired.
The Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars got a jump on proceedings by canning Jon Gruden and Urban Meyer in season. They won't be alone in the unemployment line. What follows are the five coaches most likely to lose their jobs after this season.
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Matt Nagy
Nagy is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and the franchise is going absolutely nowhere. After going 12-4 and losing in the Wild Card round during his first season in 2018, Nagy's teams have been impressively unimpressive. Despite a ton of money spent, the Bears have nothing going. Back-to-back 8-8 seasons in 2019 and 2020, followed by a 5-10 mark this year will likely bury the 43-year-old head coach.
Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace have churned through quarterbacks at an impressive rate, refusing to stick with one guy through tough times. The Bears finally appear to have their quarterback of the future in Justin Fields. He'll need a new leader to develop him if he ever hopes to fulfill his potential.
Mike Zimmer
After eight seasons it might be time for a new voice in Minnesota. The Vikings have been stuck in the mud for two seasons and it doesn't appear Mike Zimmer has any answers despite a ton of talent on offense. Minnesota was 7-9 in 2020 and sits at 7-7 this season.
Zimmer has taken the Vikings to the postseason three times in his tenure, and they reached the NFC title game during the 2017 season, losing to the Eagles. But he's had eight wins or fewer in four seasons and appears headed there again this year. The Vikings can't afford to stay in neutral with the same set up, so Zimmer may be on the way out.
Vic Fangio
The 63-year-old Fangio was a long-time defensive coordinator who wound up being in the mix for head coaching gigs for 20 years before the Denver Broncos finally gave him his first shot. It doesn't look like it'll last much longer.
Fangio's three years in Denver have been pretty rough. The Broncos went 7-9 in 2019, 5-11 in 2020 and are 7-8 this season. There just doesn't appear to be any upside with Fangio. With no improvement in three years it's likely Denver has run short of patience.
Matt Rhule
It may have only taken two seasons for Matt Rhule to wear out his welcome in Carolina. Everyone expected the Panthers to struggle during Rhule's opening campaign in 2020, and they did with a 5-11 record. But the expected improvement in Year 2 hasn't materialized and a 5-10 record isn't encouraging.
Rhule's recent comments about Jay-Z and maybe needing seven years to figure things out were laughable. His offense has been a mess, the quarterback play has been horrific and he hasn't made progress against a relatively weak NFC South. No one would be shocked if the Panthers used a quick hook on Rhule.
Pete Carroll
The Seahawks were considered among the best franchises in the NFL for years, and Carroll was a big part of that. But after 12 seasons it might be time for a new voice in Seattle. Carroll has taken the Seahawks to the postseason in nine of his 12 seasons and won a Super Bowl, but a 5-10 record this year and discord with star quarterback Russell Wilson might mean it's time to go.
Years of terrible drafts and poor personnel decisions have produced a thin roster that looks even worse moving forward. It might be time to trade Wilson for a ton of draft picks and blow it up with a new voice leading the charge. Carroll will always be a legend in Seattle, but he's 70 and not the guy you want in charge of a rebuild.