Temperature Check for NFL QB, Coach Hot Seats Entering Week 4 of 2023 Season
September football is complete, which means hot seats are increasing in temperature as NFL teams struggle out of the gate.
And usually, the league's most notable hot seats belong to coaches and quarterbacks.
That being the case, let's check in on several interesting scenarios in the league.
Bill Belichick
1 of 8
There was a time when Bill Belichick exiting New England on the team's terms seemed unfathomable. If he was going to move on, it would be through retirement rather than a firing.
And it's still possible that's the case. Even if Bob Kraft decides the franchise needs a fresh start, Belichick might have earned his right to at least "resign."
However, the Patriots haven't won a playoff game since 2018 and have just had their first 0-2 start since 2001. They're also fully expected to lose in Dallas this weekend to drop to 1-3, which will start the sound a death knell for the team's hopes in the deep and talented AFC.
That desire for a fresh start might soon become impossible to ignore.
That said, New England would have little incentive to part with Belichick unceremoniously even amid a lost season. I'm increasingly of the belief that his time with the Patriots will end in a matter of months, but we're still not that close.
Temperature: Just above room temperature
Matt Eberflus
2 of 8
Few expected the Chicago Bears to go from worst to first in 2023, but big improvements were expected of a team that made major additions on defense and anticipated another leap forward from franchise quarterback Justin Fields.
That has not transpired, though.
A loss to the Denver Broncos this weekend will drop the Bears to 0-4 after three defeats by double-digit margins. Chicago isn't remotely competitive right now, especially on defense, which doesn't bode well for Matt Eberflus.
The head coach only came on board in January 2022, but a 3-17 record in his tenure has to put him on thin ice.
A few more losses without a win in 2023 could cause general manager Ryan Poles to grow especially impatient rather than waiting for a change in the offseason.
Temperature: Close to boiling
Sam Howell
3 of 8
The Washington Commanders aren't off to a bad start at 2-1, which is probably making it easier to swallow the fact that new starting quarterback Sam Howell has thrown five interceptions to just three touchdowns thus far.
That said, the 23-year-old struggled while taking many sacks in a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, and now he and the Washington offense could run into more trouble in Philadelphia on Sunday.
For what it's worth, the team isn't panicking outwardly.
"It's football, it's going to happen," Commanders head coach Ron Rivera told reporters. "There aren't a lot of guys that are going to go out there and always have success. You got to learn and grow and you learn from the losses as well as you're learning from the wins. That's why we've just got to stick to it."
That's fine, but another poor performance in another embarrassing defeat against the Eagles could change that perspective, especially with the somewhat accomplished Jacoby Brissett on the roster.
Temperature: Lukewarm but could ignite quickly
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Josh McDaniels
4 of 8
The Las Vegas Raiders are deeply invested in Josh McDaniels, who is just 20 games into his tenure with the team.
However, after the coach failed to last two full seasons with the Denver Broncos more than a decade ago, you have to wonder if the Raiders might become equally impatient if they fail to contend in 2023.
Las Vegas does have a win under its belt at least, but that came by a single point over a still-winless Denver team in Week 1. And it has been simply ugly since for a team that has been held to 18 or fewer points in five of its last six games.
Now the Raiders have a tough road matchup with the division rival Los Angeles Chargers, and it might be increasingly difficult to keep up with L.A. and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West beyond that.
I still think the Raiders will give McDaniels the rest of this season, but without significant changes to results, he may be out after two years in Sin City.
Temperature: Just above room temperature
Desmond Ridder
5 of 8
Sure, the Atlanta Falcons are 2-1 and new starter Desmond Ridder technically has led two game-winning drives. His numbers aren't horrible, either.
However, the 24-year-old has actually gotten progressively worse on paper each week and is coming off an ineffectual performance in a 20-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. But the team sounds like it is sticking by Ridder.
"He gave us a chance," head coach Arthur Smith said. "Obviously there's going to be a couple throws you want back. Clearly, when you lose like that, there's not a lot to feel great about, and that's anybody and everybody. It's going to take all 11 of us."
While he and Howell are in similar boats, Ridder has made fewer big mistakes. Even with Taylor Heinicke present, the Falcons should ride a not-unexpected early-season wave and give the Cincinnati product much of this season to prove himself.
It's not as though this is a Super Bowl-caliber team anyway.
Temperature: Cool
Brandon Staley
6 of 8
The Los Angeles Chargers have put up two winning seasons in as many years with Brandon Staley at the helm, but that might not be enough to save his job if they can't rebound from a 1-2 start to make a nice run into January this year.
The problem for the head coach isn't the number of losses, but rather the way in which they've come. The Chargers collapsed in epic fashion in last year's Wild Card Round and blew fourth-quarter leads in each of their first two outings this season.
They (barely) rebounded at Minnesota in Week 3, but their schedule is extremely tough in the coming weeks. If they lose their next three to the Raiders, Cowboys and Chiefs, L.A. general manager Tom Telesco might decide to make an immediate move.
Temperature: Warm, potentially about to flare up
Ryan Tannehill
7 of 8
Among quarterbacks who have started all three games this season, Ryan Tannehill ranks third last with a 67.7 passer rating. Meanwhile, the 1-2 Titans are lucky not to be 0-3, and it's already become obvious their 2023 season is going nowhere.
So, why continue to play a poorly producing 35-year-old in a walk year, especially with youngsters Malik Willis and Will Levis on the quarterback depth chart?
There's no indication from the team Tannehill is on the hot seat, but logic says the Titans will eventually want to get a look at at least one of those other QBs so that they can be fully equipped to make a call on the future of the position next offseason.
With the Bengals and Ravens on the schedule in the next three weeks, that might happen before we reach midseason.
Temperature: Hot
Zach Wilson
8 of 8
The football gods gave Zach Wilson one more huge chance when New York Jets starter Aaron Rodgers got hurt early in Week 1, but it's not going well at all.
The league's lowest-rated qualified passer has completed 52.4 percent of his passes and is 0-2 as the starter in place of the 39-year-old.
Now, there are already reports that Jets players are unhappy Wilson is starting, and the team itself already acknowledging "he definitely needs to get better."
Oh boy, this won't last much longer.
Temperature: On fire
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