Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, least of all a coaching job. Just ask Norv Turner.
The Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator abruptly resigned from his post Wednesday despite his team sitting in first place in the NFC North with a 5-2 record. Turner’s departure comes just days after the Jacksonville Jaguars fired their own offensive coordinator, Greg Olson.
Despite those moves, all eyes still are on the league’s 32 head coaches, who bear the brunt of the responsibility for their teams’ successes and failures. With plenty of clubs doing more of the latter — and some strong coaching candidates waiting in the wings — we can think of a few guys whose jobs are in serious jeapordy.
Here are the six head coaches who are most likely to get fired in the near future:
1. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have had three top-five draft picks in a row and somehow haven’t gotten any better. Blake Bortles can’t get the job done, the defense is a sieve and Jacksonville is 2-6 despite playing in the putrid AFC South. Bradley has had four years to right the ship, but it continues to sink. It’s time for him to go.
2. Chip Kelly, San Francisco 49ers
Will Kelly be fired less than a year into his new gig? Probably not. Should he be? Probably. The Niners have lost their last two games by a combined 46 points and haven’t won since their season opener, all while averaging an NFL-worst 290 yards of total offense per game. Having Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick as your quarterbacks doesn’t help, but Kelly clearly hasn’t lived up to his reputation as a supposed offensive guru.
3. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts
Being third in the AFC South with a 3-5 record with your three wins coming against teams currently .500 or worse isn’t good. Being that same team with Andrew Luck as your quarterback is inexcusable. The Colts are 11-13 under Pagano since losing the 2014 AFC Championship Game, and if they don’t crack .500 this year, it will be hard to justify bringing Pagano back for a sixth season.
4. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers
Yes, the Chargers have won two of their last three, but this team still is 3-5 and coming off a brutal 4-12 campaign. San Diego likely won’t sniff the playoffs in the competitive AFC West and has a very good chance of finishing under .500 yet again. Considering the Chargers could be relocating in the near future, it’s probably time for them to find a new head coach, too.
5. Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles Rams
Remember that time Fisher said he’s not going 7-9 this season? Well, the Rams are 3-4 through seven games and look well on their way to doing just that. He still hasn’t guided this team to a winning record through four seasons, and now he’s letting No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff ride the bench while Case Keenum continues to chuck interceptions (10 in seven games). It’s time for a change of scenery in Tinseltown.
6. Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills
Things were looking up in Buffalo until the last two weeks, which saw the Bills drop back-to-back division games and Ryan essentially concede the AFC East to the New England Patriots. Ownership likely will give Ryan more time given the injuries Buffalo has sustained this year, but his leash is short.
7. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Just kidding.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
