2018 NFL Season: Head Coaches With the Most to Lose
By Erik Lambert
The 2018 NFL season will feature plenty of jobs on the line. No different from other seasons. It doesn’t stand for “Not For Long” for nothing.
Few men understand this reality better than head coaches. In decades past it was often believed somebody got four or five seasons to properly implement their systems and cultures. Fans aren’t nearly that patient anymore. If results aren’t witnessed after three seasons, coaches are often shown the door. Sometimes even less. It’s a cutthroat, demanding position.
So who around the league is likely to get kicked to the curb if they don’t deliver in 2018? Here are five names sitting on the hot seat.
Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns)
One win. That’s how many Hue Jackson has in two years as Browns head coach. Under normal circumstances, he’d have been fired long ago. These, however, aren’t normal circumstances. Ownership wanted to give him another year to see if he could get things off the ground. Rest assured though, he’s up against the way. Not only is his team likely to start a rookie quarterback, but he’s also dealing with a GM who did not hire him. This likely means John Dorsey will jump at the chance to get his own guy if Jackson falters.
Todd Bowles (New York Jets)
The past two years have proven one thing. Just because teams draft a quarterback high doesn’t mean the coaches involved at the time are safe. Jeff Fisher was fired a year after drafting Jared Goff. John Fox was fired a year after drafting Mitch Trubisky. This is the same situation that faces Todd Bowles. He’s had two down years in New York and is not what most would consider a premier expert on quarterbacks, being a former defensive coordinator. Not only winning but how he handles the development of Sam Darnold will mean everything.
John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens)
It’s amazing to think that Harbaugh would ever be in danger of losing his job after having so much success early in his run with the Ravens. Yet everybody knows the reality. The NFL is a “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” league. Baltimore has now missed the playoffs three-straight years. They’re feeling more and more like a team that’s in transition. Joe Flacco is aging. Ozzie Newsome is stepping down. Another year without the postseason might convince them it’s time for a fresh start at head coach as well.
Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
It was a minor shock that Koetter wasn’t fired after such a disappointing 2017 season. So it stands to reason 2018 will be his final stand. The Buccaneers appear to have a loaded roster on both offense and defense. They’re fast running out of excuses to not have success. If they don’t at least make the playoffs, it will be considered a major failure and that will fall at the feet of Koetter. It can’t be an easy feeling, especially knowing he has to go through that murderous division.
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Jason Garrett (Dallas Cowboys)
Tony Romo is gone. Dez Bryant is gone. Now Jason Witten is gone. The old guard that carried the Cowboys to so much success is out of the picture. Jason Garrett is left with a lot of question marks for his team and few answers. Their 13-3 finish in 2016 feels like so long ago. The Eagles control the division. New York is retooling and the Redskins can never be ignored. Garrett has had a long leash for years but not even a conference championship to show for it is bound to haunt him sooner or later. If he can’t get back to the playoffs now, he’s absolutely in trouble.