NFL’s coaching hot seat includes Mike Tomlin and Zac Taylor
Nick Sirianni entered last season with his job on the line in Philadelphia and finished it hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy, earning a lucrative contract extension.
There are several coaches under similar pressure this year. Can anyone pull off the same feat?
Sirianni led the Eagles to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons and the team fell just short of winning the Super Bowl in 2022. Then a 10-2 start in 2023 was followed by a major collapse and a lopsided playoff loss. That nearly cost Sirianni his job.
But he stuck around, gave new coordinators Kellen Moore (offense) and Vic Fangio (defense) more control and overcame a rocky relationship with fans to lead the Eagles to the franchise’s second Super Bowl title in eight seasons.
Here are some of the NFL coaches who are on the hot seat:
Mike Tomlin
The Pittsburgh Steelers have never had a losing season under Tomlin, who is 183-107-2 with one Super Bowl title since replacing Bill Cowher in 2007. But they haven’t won a playoff game since 2016.
They signed Aaron Rodgers and added other veterans, including cornerback Darius Slay, wide receiver DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. Clearly, they’re in win-now mode.
The Steelers have had only three head coaches since 1969. The organization values stability and Tomlin has been the model of consistency and winning. It’s difficult to imagine Tomlin could be coaching for his future, but he needs to have postseason success.
Zac Taylor
The Cincinnati Bengals went to the Super Bowl in Taylor’s third season and fell a few points short of going back the following year. But they’ve missed the playoffs following consecutive 9-8 seasons and poor starts have cost them.
The Bengals are 7-14-1 in September under Taylor. That needs to change. With Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Taylor’s offense has plenty of firepower. A bottom-10 defense has been a problem the past two seasons.
Mike McDaniel
After leading the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs in his first two seasons, McDaniel’s unit took a step backward last season.
The Dolphins finished 8-9 and have dealt with some turmoil in the offseason. Star wideout Tyreek Hill wanted out before changing his mind and publicly apologizing to QB Tua Tagovailoa and teammates.
McDaniel was brought in to lead Miami to playoff success. The Dolphins are still seeking their first postseason victory since Dec. 30, 2000.
Brian Daboll
The 2022 AP NFL Coach of the Year probably has the hottest seat going into this season.
Daboll led the Giants to nine wins plus one more in the playoffs as a rookie coach, but the team is 9-25 over the past two seasons.
The Giants are in a tough NFC East that includes the defending Super Bowl champs, a Commanders team that reached the conference title game and the talented-but-drama-laden Cowboys.
Russell Wilson will get first crack at trying to help save Daboll’s job in New York. The Giants have Wilson, Jameis Winston and rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart. Daboll needs to get enough wins to stick around to develop Dart.
Shane Steichen
He is 17-17 in two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts with no playoff appearances.
After helping develop Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia as the offensive coordinator for two seasons, Steichen hasn’t had much success with Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. Daniel Jones could be the choice for Steichen and the Colts at QB.
Jonathan Gannon
Like Steichen, Gannon parlayed his success as a coordinator in Philadelphia into a head coaching job. But he’s 12-22 in two seasons in Arizona.
The Cardinals lost five of seven after a 6-4 start last season, and Gannon can’t afford to have the losing carry over into this season.
Kevin Stefanski
A two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year in five seasons in Cleveland, Stefanski and his Browns are coming off a dismal 3-14 campaign.
Quarterback instability — a common issue for the Browns — has plagued Stefanski, who has started 11 different QBs. Stefanski might have earned enough equity with a pair of 11-win seasons, but the Browns have to be much more competitive this season.
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