Now that the major points of the offseason have passed, attention has turned to what is truly possible for the upcoming NFL season. The NFL’s new crop of coaches will take the stage soon and there has been a tumultuous history with first-year coaches in recent years.
Seven coaches have been hit by the dreaded ready mark since the 2018 season and the The idea of coaches being fired after one season is not that rare Just like it used to be. Carolina’s Frank Reich was last, losing his job after 11 games in 2023.
Here’s a look at the new coaches and what might trip them up and make them end up in the NFL’s saddest fraternity.
(It’s unlikely any of these guys will get fired, so just humor it).
Look, Commanders fans might not like this idea, but this is a volatile situation Quinn is entering. As stated in the introduction, it’s unlikely that any of these coaches will be fired during or immediately after Year 1, but there are a few things working against Quinn, most notably that he wasn’t the first choice of the new ownership group that recently purchased the Commanders. It was incredibly clear that the brass were all in on Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson before he decided to stay in Detroit. Quinn could end up fine in the long run, but a rookie quarterback on a bad team with an unstable offensive coordinator (Kliff Kingsbury) isn’t the most stable foundation to be on. There’s plenty of room to improve from the Commanders’ 4-13 record from a season ago, so Quinn may not have to jump too high to impress people.
The scenario in which Morris is fired is simple: Kirk Cousins has such a bad season that the Falcons end up in the top five of next year’s draft. It’s unlikely, but Morris has stepped into a role that comes with considerable expectations, even though the Falcons did spend the eighth overall pick in the draft on Michael Penix Jr., a quarterback who is not expected to play this year. The Falcons have been a 7-10 team the last three years and the addition of Cousins is expected to get them back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. That’s a lot of pressure for a new head coach, with team owner Arthur Blank, showing that he is running out of patience with the organization’s lack of success.
Mayo probably has one of the lowest risks of being permanent. The only way that would happen would be if the Patriots put together a season on the same level as what the Panthers did last season. Mayo will have a long leash, especially if Drake Maye is the player many think he is.
Speaking of Panthers! Given the recent turmoil and turnover surrounding the quarterback and head coaching situations during the David Tepper era, nothing is off limits here. However, the Panthers will have to choose stability at some point, right? Even if it’s just because of that. They’re locked into Bryce Young through at least the 2024 season, so Canales should have security after this season, even if it’s a disaster. Tepper can’t afford to hire another head coach in 2025. Well, he can, but you know.
Callahan being a perfect player would be surprising given how competent the Titans have prepared to be this offseason. This is not a bad team and they tried to give Will Levis a chance to succeed with the moves they made this offseason. Callahan is in the same boat as Mayo, where it would take an unforeseen catastrophe of a season for him to lose his job.
Pierce is in a slightly different position because he was interim head coach last season for a surge that ended up landing him the full-time job. In fact, he could be at risk here if the Raiders slump (possible due to quarterback space) and take a few steps back from last year because he is familiar with the program. He’s taking complete control for the first time, but he’s not new to the Raiders.
The Seahawks would have waited forever for Macdonald. He is immune to being fired this season.
The only way Harbaugh can lose his job this season is if he scares everyone with his steak and milk habits. He will have an incredibly long leash to get this job done, which makes sense given his strong track record as a head coach.
