7 NFL Head Coaches That Will Enter the 2017 Season on the Hot Seat

7 NFL Head Coaches That Will Enter the 2017 Season on the Hot Seat

The old adage is that the NFL stands for “Not for long” and if you are a head coach, that is exactly what it means. Today we are going to look at seven coaches that need to get it done and at least show drastic improvement this year or they may be out of a job come next season. These are in no particular order.

1) Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

After guiding the Bengals to five straight playoff appearances Marvin Lewis’s Bengals regressed big time last year. They regressed so much that owner Mike Brown is letting Lewis enter this season on the last year of his contract. The team’s fate will fall directly on an offensive line that was terrible last year and to make matters worse, lost their only two productive offensive linemen in Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth. The Bengals are a Super Bowl contender when you look at the rest of the team, but the offensive line will decide the team’s fate and Marvin Lewis’s fate.

2) John Fox, Chicago Bears

The Bears have been a mess since Fox arrived. Fox is known for quick turnarounds, but his lack of a quarterback will make this a tougher turnaround than most. Fox does not need to lead the Bears to the playoffs, but the team has to show significant improvement to justify keeping him. I think six wins would probably get him another year to continue to try to rebuild this team.

3) Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

The Saints have been below .500 the last three seasons and QB Drew Brees is not getting any younger. Payton, in my opinion, is a great football coach, but he must do something to get this turned around or he will be looking for a job. The Saints have had a great offseason and have seemingly improved their team, but playing in the NFC South means that even if they are improved, they could still finish around .500. The AFC South looks to be a complete division from top to bottom and winning it will not be easy.

4) Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions

Caldwell needs a playoff win this season. When you have a QB like Matthew Stafford, you can’t continue to come up short and the blame has to fall somewhere. The biggest reason for a possible quick trigger in Detroit could also be the fact that Caldwell predated current GM Bob Quinn, who might eventually decide he wants his own hire in place.

5) Bill O’Brien, Houston Texans

O’Brien must make a deep run this year. He is a helluva a coach, but there is too much talent on this team not to make a run. Everything will come down to whether the Texans can find a QB that can lead them. If they don’t, O’Brien will be gone and in my estimation, this would be a bad move by the Texans.

6) Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts

When you have a talent at QB like Andrew Luck, you must win games! While it may not be all his fault, the Colts need to get it done soon or Pagano will pay the price. Pagano’s main challenge may just be the fact that the AFC South just might be the most improved division in the NFL. They had a solid offseason and seemed to have upgraded their team, but I am afraid in the end it won’t be enough.

7) Todd Bowles, New York Jets

Bowles had a great first year, followed by last year’s disaster. The Jets did draft well and have improved their team. In the long run, this will come down to ownership’s willingness to have some patience, and knowing the Jets, this means that Bowles is in serious jeopardy of losing his job.

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