4. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
After a massively successful 2024 season where the Washington Commanders got within one game of the Super Bowl, things fell apart in 2025. Washington went 12-5 in 2024 and 5-12 in 2025, so this team is essentially right back at square one.
Head coach Dan Quinn is on his second stint as a head coach in the NFL and has a 60-59 record, along with a 5-3 playoff record. He's a fine head coach, but this regression is notable. Quinn has just three winning seasons in his eight years as the head coach, and a slow start again in 2026 could prompt some major change.
Not only has Quinn not proven himself to be a top head coach, but a slow start could begin to waste at the window this team has with Jayden Daniels being on his rookie deal, which would be a huge driving factor in a potential in-season firing.
3. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals have not been to the playoffs since the 2022 NFL Season, so we're not going on four years. When in the playoffs, the Bengals made a run to the Super Bowl in 2021 and got back to the AFC Championship Game in 2022, so this team does know how to win if they get into the postseason.
With the overhauled defense, the front office is clearly sending a message to Taylor and the coaching staff that now is the time to get back into the postseason. Even during the two-year run the Bengals had in '21 and '22, Taylor never really ascended into being a top head coach, and it honestly feels like he's a lot closer to average in that regard now.
A slower start for Cincy in 2026 could prompt some change, especially with how good this team got over the offseason.
2. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles has a 61-74 record as a head coach in the NFL, which includes a 35-33 record with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have never won more than 10 games in a season under Bowles, but they've also never won fewer than eight games. This low-ceiling-high-floor tenure isn't yielding Tampa Bay much of anything, and with Bowles being well into his coaching career in the NFL, this is who he is at this point, so unless something major changes, the Bucs might feel like it's time to go in another direction.
1. Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
Sure, the New York Jets had no chance of winning much of anything in 2026, but Aaron Glenn didn't help. He seemed to be in way over his head almost immediately, and we could be approaching a time where it becomes even more obvious that Glenn isn't cut out to be a head coach in this league.
Typically, with first-year head coaches, there is at least something that they can hang their hat on and carry into year two, but that simply does not exist with Glenn. If the Jets struggle out of the gate yet again, I would see no reason why Glenn keeps his job.
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