2017 NFL Coaching Hot Seat: The Death Spirals Begin
By Erik Lambert
With just over a month left and the 2017 NFL coaching hot seat is getting ready to boil over. Some men won’t be able to escape it.
There is no doubt that some names are likely already done in the eyes of their respective organizations. It’s just a matter of letting the clock reach all zeros before making a move. Some may not wait that long. It’s happened before. As things stand there are five games left for most teams and those five games may yet determine the future of some coaches around the league. Who should worry and who should start packing their bags?
Warm
Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos)
The loss of Gary Kubiak is looming ever larger each week, while the mystique of John Elway has taken a big hit based on the hiring of Vance Joseph as head coach. Here’s a man who had one year of coordinating experience. Many would say he wasn’t ready for the big job but Elway ignored that, believing he had the right guy. Instead a roster that was still capable of making a playoff run has completely fallen flat. Denver is in line to gain a top five draft choice.
Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Not being able to fulfill high expectations in 2017 despite what looked like an even better roster than the one that went 9-7 last year is not a good look for Koetter. To be fair he’s had to deal with some rough issues from a hurricane to his quarterback getting in trouble with the law. Finding success amidst that is almost impossible. Koetter isn’t a dead man walking by any stretch but he has to keep his team competitive towards the end of the season to ensure he gets one more year.