The NFL is approaching the midpoint of the season, and as struggling teams begin to look to the future, that means making tough decisions. The key word for the 2026 season so far has been “unpredictable,” with few teams living up to preseason expectations and others exceeding preseason expectations.
It’s time to take a look at five coaches on the hot seat around the league and identify who they are. Really These franchises need to be fired to move forward. Conversely, some of these people are now on the hot seat, but they still deserve another chance, because they are victims of circumstance – or these groups can’t do any better.
Nick Sirianni – Philadelphia Eagles
There is no sugarcoating what happened in Philly. This team is a mess. The damage has been done to the team, looking for a way to get worse day by day. More and more players are hitting the injury report, going on IR, or missing key pieces. The team did their best against the Panthers on Sunday, but it was clear they didn’t have enough players to really make an impact.
In the midst of it all, Nick Siriani seems miserable trying to coach this season. Things weren’t looking good before the injury, and now Tanner has been forced to watch Mackie, and a chorus of middle linebackers trying to form a semblance of offense. The team is still decent defensively, but they are lined up on that side. It’s getting to the point where it’s hard to imagine the Eagles winning many more games this year.
That’s where rubbing comes in, and makes this really difficult. Siriani should not be fired based on the injuries and problems he has faced, especially given his past success story. The bottom line is that if the Eagles end up with a very high draft pick, they could be in a position to upgrade at quarterback — at what point is it worth trying to turn over a new leaf in the process?
We have a similar situation with Doug Pederson. We had a Super Bowl-winning head coach who couldn’t follow through on success, and even though owner Jeffrey Lurie thought Pederson was a good coach, he believed the franchise’s long-term success was more important than maintaining its current status. The team decided to part ways with coach Carson Wentz, draft a new QB and install Nick Sirianni — ending a five-year tenure for all.
It’s been six years for Nick Siriani.
Verdict: Keep it. When we get down to it, I Think there might be more left in the tank for Siriani. There needs to be some more guidance, and I’d like to see this team hire a senior consultant, however – to help with decision-making.
Shane Steichen – Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are very weak. This is a team with pieces that make you think they can compete, but they keep falling short – and many of the roster moves this team has made have come at the behest of Shane Sticken.
This is the second year that Stechen has been in discussions regarding his future, and the ropes have run out. This team is 2-4, lost to the Titans, Daniel Jones is struggling, and nothing looks good. This team needs to draft the legitimate QB of the future and rework the entire organization. This cannot be Stechen in action.
Verdict: Fire. Stechen doesn’t have what it takes to improve this franchise, and giving him a chance is a critical time to move on.
Aaron Glenn – New York Jets
It’s only been two years, but there’s been plenty of talk about Aaron Glenn’s future with the Jets as the franchise continues to flounder.
Here’s the thing: I don’t believe what’s happening with the Jets right now is Glenn’s fault. He’s still working with a deeply flawed roster, without a solid long-term QB, and a defense that’s tasked with reinventing itself. To be fair, both Soos Gardner and Quinn Williams were rightly judged to be overrated, allowing the team to get an impressive return in the trade.
After all, the Airmen now have some pride. I think there is still a lot of room for growth for this team.
Verdict: Keep it. There’s a lot of work to do, but the Jets are no longer a joke – thanks in large part to Glenn making this team at least competitive.
Jim Harbaugh – Los Angeles Chargers
Looking at the Chargers side, things are obviously bad. I see a lot Harbaugh’s coached games for years, and this season there’s just zero fire, no energy, just flailing around like he doesn’t really care. It’s the first time Harb has let apathy creep into his coaching, and it shows.
There’s a very good chance this team just fires Mike McDaniel and uses him as a scapegoat, but there’s no real reason to keep Harbaugh as coach. This team is bad, and seems unprepared every week – which is down to the coaching.
If this group was smart, they would have identified that this was not going to work.
Verdict: Fire. The problem is, I don’t think the Chargers ownership has any stepping stones. A few more seasons of mediocrity await.
Todd Bowles – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We don’t need to break this down.
Verdict: Fire. Todd Boles is terrible.
The Rams are unequivocally the losers of the week because … let’s face it. No offense to the Arizona Cardinals, but come on. Los Angeles was supposed to be the NFL’s all-around juggernaut, and despite having both Puca Nacua and Davante Adams in the lineup, they can’t beat a struggling division opponent.
This team will not make the playoffs. Directly, it is not happening. After Week 11, this team closes out the season against the Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys, Seahawks (twice) and Buccaneers. Even looking at their remaining games accurately puts the Rams at 9-8. That won’t be enough in the NFC, and I don’t even know if returning Myles Garrett will make enough of a difference.
The Rams will be one of the biggest upsets in NFL history based on their talent level before the season begins.
Where credit is due, because after McCarthy entered the game against the Saints and threw a first-drive interception, the chances of a full down were pretty good. Instead, he showed some real chops in his very limited time in wrestling.
The Giants owe it to themselves to start him from here on out, just to see if there is anything they can do to make him a legitimate quarterback. Let’s not forget that McCarthy entered the draft with more hype than Jackson Dart — with more belief that he could be a legitimate NFL talent.
We know Dart has a cult following, but that doesn’t do him any favors if he’s in the injury tent every week. McCarthy could be the real difference maker the Giants need.
The Bears got their QB back, and he didn’t miss a step. Beating Atlanta isn’t exactly the biggest challenge in the NFL, but Williams stepped in and showed what Chicago lacked when he wasn’t on the field.
Caleb has a good command of the Bears’ offense and can make surprising plays at will. I’m not sure how bullish I am on Chicago, just because their defense is still incredibly bad – but the future is bright for Ben Johnson’s team.
It’s great to see the young star coming back from injury and still looking dominant.
Beating the Eagles is great, leading the Panthers to another victory is fantastic – en route to throwing for 5,267 yards, 37 TDs and 7 INTs is fantastic. This week’s winner is not because of this.
It doesn’t matter whether you are religious or not. It’s great to see a top player stop and think about their opponents and give them the respect they deserve in difficult situations. This young man is a true role model in this age where compassion and care for others is sorely lacking.
