Ranking Top 8 NFL Players, Coaches and GMs Under Most Pressure to Succeed in 2026

It's only April, but some players, coaches and general managers are feeling immense amounts of pressure already to have a good 2026 NFL season.

Players who struggled with performance or injury last year will be looking to get off to a hot start to change the narrative. For those eligible for contract extensions, a strong performance could equate to generational wealth, while a down year might result in a modest "prove it" deal with far less value.

While the players are ultimately the ones who will determine how far a team can go, certain coaches and general managers for underperforming franchises should be feeling far more pressure than their peers to win this year.

Many have their jobs riding on the outcome of the upcoming campaign and must show their recent failures won't become a trend.

With that in mind, let's rank—with respect to their likelihood of being fired, replaced or written off—the players, coaches and GMs facing the most pressure to succeed in 2026.

8. Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

Travis Hunter is entering the 2026 season with higher expectations than arguably any other player in the modern NFL has faced.

As a rare two-way talent, the 22-year-old will be tasked with shouldering a massive load on both sides of the ball for a Jacksonville Jaguars squad looking to take a leap following a playoff run in 2025.

The Jags thrived in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era, winning 13 games and an AFC South title, but now they must improve on last season's Wild Card Round exit.

Despite being the No. 2 overall pick, acquired at the cost of multiple first-round selections, Hunter only played a relatively small role in the team's success last year.

Prior to being shut down for the year with a knee injury, the Colorado product contributed 298 receiving yards and one touchdown on 28 receptions along with 15 tackles and three pass defenses. He flashed the potential to be a game-changer for both the offensive and defensive units, but ultimately didn't make enough of an impact to justify his lofty draft capital costs.

The plan for Hunter appears to be changing in 2026. After he played 67 percent of the offensive snaps and 36 percent of the defensive snaps in the games he was available for as a rookie, he should be a far bigger factor in the secondary going forward. Per Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network, he may be utilized as a full-time corner who still plays part-time receiver.

Regardless of how Coen and GM James Gladstone plan to divvy up Hunter's usage, he will need to deliver far more results.

While Hunter isn't in the draft bust discussion yet, he needs to come closer to making the type of impact he had as a Heisman Trophy-winning collegiate star to justify the major investment the Jags made to acquire him.

7. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

It's hard to believe that a head coach just two years removed from lifting the Lombardi Trophy could be on the hot seat, but Nick Sirianni shouldn't feel too comfortable at his post with the Philadelphia Eagles.

While Sirianni has put together an impressive resume that includes a 59-26 regular season record, three NFC East titles, a pair of NFC Championship Game victories and a Super Bowl championship in his half-decade at the reins, he's also overseen a pair of epic collapses in two of the last three seasons.

With owner Jeffrey Lurie demanding a standard of excellence and pressure from the fanbase mounting, Sirianni can't afford to have another tumultuous season.

Even though the Eagles won 11 games last year, they never truly figured out their offensive woes and failed to mount a convincing title defense. Sirianni attempted to intervene by being more hands-on with the offense, but stubbornly stuck by ineffective coordinator Kevin Patullo before relieving him of his post following a Wild Card Round exit.

Philadelphia similarly spiraled in 2023 after a 10-1 start, losing five of the final six regular season games before getting trounced in the playoff opener.

Sirianni was able to quell the calls for his job by guiding the Eagles to a title the following year and will need to orchestrate a similar effort in 2026 if he's going to avoid the hot seat.

6. Duke Tobin, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

The Cincinnati Bengals operate on a different level than most NFL organizations. The club's ownership has a reputation for being cautious with spending and reluctant to move on from underperforming staff, which some observers believe has contributed to general manager Duke Tobin remaining in his role for over 25 years.

While the Bengals haven't been anything close to a perennial contender during Tobin's tenure, he did oversee a recent stretch of success that included a Super Bowl run in 2021 and a narrow AFC Championship Game loss the following season.

Three consecutive playoff misses have followed, however, and Cincy is now coming off its worst regular-season showing since Joe Burrow's rookie year in 2020.

Although roster construction hasn't been the lone factor holding the Bengals back—Burrow's health woes have been a major issue also—Tobin's inability to craft a competent defense has prevented Cincinnati from reaching its potential.

The Bengals have ranked No. 25 or lower in total defense in each of the past three seasons and haven't finished better than No. 16 in that category since head coach Zac Taylor was hired ahead of the 2019 campaign.

With Cincinnati slogging through another lackluster offseason—one that included the loss of a franchise-caliber edge-rusher in Trey Hendrickson—another of Burrow's prime years could soon be squandered.

If that occurs and the Bengals go four consecutive seasons without a playoff berth, ownership may finally have to consider moving on from Tobin.

5. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fared well enough to be a playoff fixture with Todd Bowles at the helm, but they still haven't broken through as a true Super Bowl contender under his stewardship.

With the Bucs taking a step back in 2025 by missing the postseason despite playing in the league's weakest division, it may not be long before Tampa is looking for Bowles' replacement.

While Bowles has a winning record during his four years at the helm in Tampa, he's finished below .500 in half of those seasons and hasn't won more than 10 games in the others.

The team has won just one wild-card game in three postseason trips and hasn't been able to take advantage of its status as the top dog in the NFC South.

It seems Tampa's window to contend with Baker Mayfield at the helm could be coming to a close. While the quarterback was a revelation during his first two years with the organization—making the Pro Bowl in each—he regressed in 2025 and has just one season remaining on his contract. With top wideout Mike Evans moving away from the franchise after 12 years, it will be even more difficult for the Bucs to bounce back in 2026.

A reset could be in the pipeline if the Bucs come up short yet again. They'll have an opportunity to reclaim the NFC South and make some noise in the playoffs, but anything short of that could mean an end to the Bowles-Mayfield era in Tampa Bay.

4. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

It seemed unthinkable that the Houston Texans would be planning for life without C.J. Stroud as early as the 2026 NFL season.

The young signal-caller had emerged as one of the game's bright young talents following his selection at No. 2 overall in 2022, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and taking the downtrodden franchise back to the playoffs.

While Stroud's sophomore efforts weren't as impressive, he still looked the part of a franchise quarterback while helping Houston win another AFC South title and Wild Card Round game. He oversaw another playoff win in 2025, but his latest disappointing postseason performances should give the Texans pause as they evaluate their long-term plans.

Stroud collapsed in a divisional-round showdown with the New England Patriots, completing just 42.6 percent of his passes and coughing up a whopping four interceptions—one fewer than he had across his entire rookie season—in the loss.

While there were already those who doubted the signal-caller and his ability to lead a team to a Super Bowl, detractors now have plenty of ammunition to attack Stroud with.

Timing has been the biggest concern with Stroud. He's been able to put up strong numbers and notch wins against lowly opponents, but he's disappeared in big moments against quality competition.

He's consistently shrunk in the playoffs—throwing as many interceptions as he has touchdowns in six contests—and failed to elevate Houston when the club needed him most.

Although Stroud is eligible for an extension this offseason, the Texans have thus far avoided making a lengthy commitment to the signal-caller.

He's likely going to have his fifth-year option picked up before the May 1 deadline, but he'll need to show growth in Year 4 before Houston can feel comfortable issuing a blockbuster extension.

3. Joe Schoen, New York Giants

AP Photo/Kena Betancur

The New York Giants' controversial decision to retain Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen following a lost 2024 season quickly backfired.

Daboll was ultimately canned after a 2-8 start to the 2025 campaign, and Schoen could be the next person to land on the chopping block.

While the GM narrowly avoided joining Daboll on the unemployment line due to a promising 2025 draft class that included a potential legacy-defining trade for quarterback Jaxson Dart, he won't remain around much longer if the Giants struggle through another miserable season in 2026.

Some of Schoen's more underwhelming picks have come on the defensive side of the ball and those misfires could cost the G-Men a chance to be competitive in 2026.

Kayvon Thibodeaux—Schoen's first-ever draft selection in 2022—could be on his way out this offseason after a brutal 2025 showing, while Abdul Carter is looking like a potential bust after a polarizing rookie campaign.

Schoen is now hoping his blockbuster hire of John Harbaugh, one of the most coveted coaching candidates to hit the market in years, results in a rapid turnaround.

It won't be easy to turn a team that has won just 13 games over the past three years into a contender, but Big Blue does have a chance with Dart, Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo—three of Schoen's strongest draft selections—serving as its offensive nucleus.

2. Andrew Berry, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

The Cleveland Browns brought in Andrew Berry in 2020 with the hopes that he could craft a contending roster for a franchise that had barely troubled the playoffs in almost two decades.

While his tenure began on a strong note with the Browns winning their first postseason game since 1994—and returning to the playoffs two years later—the club has since returned to its usual doormat status.

Cleveland has managed to win a mere eight games since the start of the 2024 season, a brutal stretch that led the team to move on from head coach Kevin Stefanski this offseason. Berry could be the next domino to fall if things don't change in 2026.

One of Berry's biggest blunders is still haunting the franchise.

The GM's decision to trade a trio of first-round picks and other valuable draft capital for Deshaun Watson, compounded by a record-setting five-year, $230 million contract extension, has set the Browns back significantly.

Watson has only started 19 games across his three seasons in Cleveland, missing significant time with injury and looking like a shell of his former Pro Bowl self when he has been on the field.

Ten different signal-callers have started a game for the club since the 2022 campaign kicked off. The position could remain a revolving door with new head coach Todd Monken planning to host a three-way competition for the QB1 job during his first training camp.

Unless Shedeur Sanders shows significant growth in Year 2 or Watson reemerges as a superstar, the Browns will be facing an uphill battle to contend in 2026.

Another losing season should spell the end of Berry's tenure with the organization.

1. Aaron Glenn, New York Jets

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

There was a strong case to be made for Aaron Glenn to be a one-and-done coach for the New York Jets. The team was effectively out of the playoff hunt by October and finished the dismal season with a 3-14 record.

Team owner Woody Johnson displayed patience with the first-time head coach, though, opting to retain Glenn in an effort to bring some much-needed stability to his long-suffering franchise.

After overhauling his staff and assuming defensive play-calling duties—the former cornerback likened his ability to run a defense to a "superpower"—Glenn will be under significant pressure to turn things around in 2026.

The coach needs to start trending in the right direction after inheriting a roster that finished third in total defense in 2024 but regressed to 25th in that category this past season.

While Glenn wasn't hired to be an offensive mastermind, the success of the Jets will also hinge on a vast improvement on that side of the ball.

After finishing in the bottom five of the league in both yardage and scoring, the team decided to hitch its wagon to Geno Smith for 2026.

The veteran QB projects to be an upgrade over former starter Justin Fields, but Smith is coming off a dismal campaign of his own with the Las Vegas Raiders and may not return to the Pro Bowl form he displayed with the Seattle Seahawks.

If New York can't make a playoff push—or at least remain in the running until the final weeks of the season—it will be difficult to envision Glenn returning for a third season in 2027.