The NFL Hot Seat: 5 Men Closest To Losing Their Jobs

Jan 1, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles leaves the field following the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2017 season hasn’t even started yet but one can be sure there are already plenty of names just one or two mistakes away from the NFL hot seat.

It’s never a comfortable place to be and beyond difficult to avoid. Like the massive gravity of a black hole. One a man is caught in the vicinity, it will take something powerful to get away. It’s not just a seat for any particular job either. Executives, coaches and players are all vulnerable to it. At the end of the day it’s a business and people get fired in businesses. So who are the top current names around the league who are fearing most for their job?

Todd Bowles (HC, New York Jets)

Owner Woody Johnson may have accepted the fact that the Jets are shifting to a youth movement after their aged roster fell apart in 2016. That’s not going to hide the fact that head coach Todd Bowles was very much in danger of losing his job this offseason before the team decided to keep him on. Make no mistake. If there isn’t something positive to hang their hats on for 2018, then it would not be above the Jets to follow through on the threat this time around.

John Fox (HC, Chicago Bears)

GM Ryan Pace has stated he wanted to build the Bears in the right way and such things take time. To be fair the roster was devastated by injuries in 2016, but it doesn’t completely erase the fact that John Fox is 9-23 through his first two seasons. In what is likely his last NFL head coaching job, everything could be riding on 2017. At the very least the team has to show improvement in their record. Otherwise Pace may go looking for a young replacement to begin developing Mitch Trubisky.

Mike Glennon (QB, Chicago Bears)

Speaking of Trubisky, his arrival has already started the clock for another man on the Bears roster. To be fair everybody could see the writing on the wall with Mike Glennon from the moment he arrived. His guaranteed money will be all but gone by the second year of his three-year contract. That left a gigantic clue that the Bears had plans to go in a different direction by that point. The only way Glennon can forestall the inevitable is by playing well.

Les Snead (GM, Los Angeles Rams)

It was a mild surprise that Les Snead wasn’t fired along with Jeff Fisher at the end of last season considering the two were joined at the hip for the mediocrity they showcased with the Rams. Perhaps the team wanted to keep some stability up top during the move to Los Angeles. Now that they’re settling in, Snead has no parachute left. If his roster can’t produce any results after going 4-12 last year, he’ll be out the door as well.

Trevor Siemian (QB, Denver Broncos)

The job ahead for Broncos starter Trevor Siemian was hard enough going into 2017. He has to hold off former 1st round pick Paxton Lynch in order to keep his job. Now Denver added a new wrinkle to things with the addition of Chad Kelly. Don’t be fooled by his being the last pick of the draft. Kelly is a talented young man who can put on a show as a passer when he’s healthy. He may not be a threat to Siemian yet, but he’s definitely another name to worry about.

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