We're now four weeks into the 2023 NF season, and several head coaches are already on the hot seat. Truth be told, a few had warm backsides to begin the season and have only felt the temperature rise with each passing game.
Matt Eberflus, anyone? Seriously, how have the Chicago Bears not kicked him to the curb yet?
But we're not here today to discuss those who will be fired. And make no mistake about it. Eberflus will lose his job before this season concludes.
No, today we're here to chat about a trio of head coaches who won't be fired this season, even if perhaps they should be. But even if these three make it through this year, they might not be on the sideline with their respective teams in 2024.
Let's get rolling, shall we?
NFL coaches who should be on hot seat: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin has the second-longest tenure among current NFL head coaches as this season marks his 17th with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And the previous 16 have gone quite well, overall, as Tomlin has never once had a losing season. The two Super Bowl wins look pretty good on the resume as well.
But if Pittsburgh's atrocious 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday was any indication of how the rest of this season will play out, his 16-year streak will come to an end.
One of the big knocks on Tomlin over the years has been his reluctance to adapt to the modern game, instead opting to stick with old-school, smashmouth Steelers football.
But while that style has worked in the past and has kept the team competitive enough in the regular season, it hasn't translated to the postseason in recent years. Perhaps that's why the Steelers haven't won a playoff game since advancing to the AFC Championship Game following the 2016 season and have gone just 3-7 in the postseason since their last Super Bowl win.
That style certainly didn't work on Sunday, as the Pittsburgh offense put up just six points against a Texans defense that entered the week ranked at or near the bottom in several major statistical categories.
Sure, Kenny Pickett suffered a knee injury and left the game early. But even when Pickett is healthy, Tomlin really hasn't turned him loose, instead allowing offensive coordinator Matt Canada to essentially handcuff him.
Tomlin claims changes will be made, but it might just be time for Pittsburgh to start over once this season ends. Perhaps bringing in an offensive-minded coach, such as Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson, will help the Steelers transition to the modern game.
Tomlin won't be fired midseason, nor should he be. He's done too much for the franchise to be disrespected like that. But even with a 2-2 record, the Steelers aren't and won't be genuine contenders in the AFC. And they haven't been in quite some time.
NFL coaches who should be on hot seat: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
If there's one NFL head coach who won't ever be fired during the season, it's Bill Belichick. But if it wasn't clear already that Robert Kraft needs to move on from the man who's won six titles for the New England Patriots, Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys hammered it home.
Every head coach takes bad losses. That's just the nature of the game. But the 35-point loss in Week 4 was the worst of Belichick's entire career. And this was a guy who once coached the Cleveland Browns.
This is the Patriots' fourth season without Tom Brady, and including the 1-3 start to this season, Belichick has gone 26-28 since No. 12 took his talents to Tampa Bay.
The Mac Jones experiment clearly isn't working and New England is essentially already out of the playoff picture. There's zero chance of the Pats winning the AFC East, not with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins doing the things they're doing.
And even if, by some miracle, the Patriots can earn a wild-card berth, they're not getting their first postseason victory since winning Super Bowl 53.
Like Mike Tomlin, Bill Belichick, who's the longest-tenured NFL head coach at this time, has earned the right not to be fired during the season. But the 71-year-old might just need to hand the reins to Jerod Mayo at year's end.
NFL coaches who should be on hot seat: Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Unlike Mike Tomlin and Bill Belichick with their respective organizations, Zac Taylor doesn't have a long history with the Cincinnati Bengals, as this is just his fifth year with the team.
And he's certainly made the most of his tenure. After winning just six games in his first two seasons, Taylor led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in more than three decades following the 2021 season and took Cincy back to the AFC Championship Game a season ago.
But success brings pressure and lofty expectations. And the Bengals haven't lived up to them to start this 2023 campaign, losing three of their first four games. The worst of the three defeats occurred Sunday as Taylor & Co. were dominated in every facet of the game in a 27-3 road loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Now, it's true that Joe Burrow, who's obviously the main reason for Cincinnati's success the past two seasons, hasn't been 100% healthy. But Burrow isn't the Bengals' only problem.
Taylor's playcalling has been somewhat suspect, for one, which he at least acknowledged following Sunday's loss. But the defense hasn't been great, either. After ranking fifth in the NFL in points allowed last year, the Bengals are 18th in that department in 2023, giving up 23.5 points per game.
One wouldn't think Taylor will be fired during the season. But that doesn't mean his seat isn't a little warm right now. If the Bengals can't turn things around, it's certainly possible that Taylor could be looking for a new job next year.
If the Eagles can fire Doug Pederson just three years after winning a Super Bowl, Cincinnati could certainly part ways with Zac Taylor two years after losing one.
