When the season began, there was little doubt that Washington coach Jay Gruden was short on job security. Now a quarter of the way into the season, there is no question Gruden is on the hottest seat in the NFL.
You can almost see the flames surround Gruden and the smoke coming out of owner Dan Snyder’s ears. The Redskins are 0-4. There was a report prior to Sunday’s game against the New York Giants that Gruden could be fired if the Redskins lost. Washington did indeed lose. But Gruden still has a job. For now.
There’s no question Gruden is on the shortest leash in the league. But he’s just one of several coaches whose job could be in jeopardy. Let’s take a look at seven coaches on the hot seat and work our way back to Gruden.
7. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas is 3-1, and Garrett is 82-62 in his career. That’s territory where a coach generally is safe. But we’re talking about the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones. The rules are different with them. Jones got spoiled by winning three Super Bowls early in his ownership. He desperately wants to win another and believes the Cowboys have the necessary talent to do it with quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and receiver Amari Cooper. Jones has shown uncharacteristic patience with Garrett, who has been in his position since 2010. The Cowboys have only appeared in five postseason games with Garrett and won just two of them. Jones’ patience is wearing then. Garrett needs more than a winning season to keep his job. He needs to take the Cowboys on a deep playoff run.
6. Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
Rivera is widely respected and would have another job almost instantly if the Panthers fire him. But he’s on rocky ground in Carolina. That’s because the franchise is undergoing a complete cultural overhaul. New owner David Tepper is trying to distance the franchise from the influence of predecessor Jerry Richardson. People that had worked for the franchise since before it began play in 1995 – such as the ticket director and equipment manager – have left the team since Tepper took over. Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney were Richardson hires, and they could be next in line. They somehow survived a late-season collapse last year. The Panthers are off to a 2-2 start, and franchise quarterback Cam Newton currently is sidelined with a foot injury. But Newton’s status isn’t going to earn Rivera a free pass. Since taking the Panthers to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season, Rivera has had just one winning season and has taken the Panthers to one playoff game. Anything less than a playoff berth this season probably will cost Rivera his job.
5. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are off to a 1-3 start, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out for the season with an elbow injury. Since taking over the Steelers in 2007, Tomlin has a .645 winning percentage and has never had a losing season. But Tomlin already was on the hot seat after the Steelers missed the playoffs last season. That’s mainly because expectations always are extremely high in Pittsburgh. Tomlin won the Super Bowl in his second season and got to the Super Bowl in the 2010 season. But that’s the last time the Steelers have been to a Super Bowl. Roethlisberger’s injury could buy Tomlin another season. But, then again, ownership could decide that Tomlin has worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh.
4. Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins
Although the organization denies it, it’s pretty obvious the Dolphins are “tanking.” In other words, they’ve traded away top players to accumulate draft picks, and they’re losing games to get high draft picks for next year. They’re playing for the future, not the present. Flores had to know that was the plan when he took the job this year. So, that should mean the coach is safe for another year or two. But the Dolphins have been even worse than anyone could imagine. There haven’t been any bright spots. If things spin totally out of control (like Flores loses the locker room and the Dolphins go 0-16), then the coach could be in trouble.
3. Adam Gase, New York Jets
Gase wasn’t a popular hire among fans to start with, and the beginning of his time with the Jets has been a disaster. The Jets are 0-3. Gase supposedly is some sort of offensive guru (even though he failed to develop Ryan Tannehill in Miami), but the Jets have scored only 33 points — and the defense accounted for 22 of those. Granted, bad luck has been a factor. Quarterback Sam Darnold has missed two games (so far) with mononucleosis, and backup Trevor Siemian quickly got hurt after stepping in. As a first-year coach, Gase should get some grace period from ownership. But Gase needs to get Darnold back on the field, and the Jets need to start showing some bright spots. If the season turns out to be a disaster and there appears to be no hope for the future, Gase could be in a one-and-done situation.
2. Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
Yes, Quinn took the Falcons to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season, but they have steadily regressed since. Despite the fact they have a great quarterback in Matt Ryan and a generational talent in receiver Julio Jones, the Falcons are off to a 1-3 start following last year’s 7-9 season. Owner Arthur Blank, 77, isn’t a patient man, and he desperately wants to win a Super Bowl. Keep in mind that Blank fired Quinn’s predecessor, Mike Smith, who gave a franchise that never had consecutive winning seasons five straight winning seasons. Smith’s downfall was that he followed that up with two losing seasons. Quinn might not be able to survive two straight losing seasons.
1. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
Given owner Dan Snyder’s lack of patience with previous coaches, it’s kind of amazing that Gruden has been in his position since 2014. It’s not as if he’s had much success. In fact, he’s had very little. He’s 35-48-1 overall, had only one winning season, reached the playoffs only once and has never had double-digit wins in a season. Now, he’s off to an 0-4 start, and the Redskins are in total disarray. Quarterback Case Keenum was benched last week, and rookie Dwayne Haskins showed he clearly isn’t ready by throwing three interceptions. Colt McCoy, who suffered a major leg injury last year, could return soon. But McCoy isn’t good enough to instantly turn the team around. That means the only question is whether Gruden gets fired during the season or afterward.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
