Hot Seat Meter for NFL Head Coaches Entering a Make-or-Break 2026 Season

NFL head coaches face pressure in different forms. Some of them lead teams with title-contending standards. Others need to get their clubs to the playoffs. In addition to winning, they all must manage a full roster and coaching staff.

With those expectations and responsibilities, several lead skippers head into each season on the hot seat, having to clear up issues from the previous year and show improvement in specific areas.

This offseason, 10 teams hired new head coaches, an indicator of how competitive the league is at the coaching level. So, no one should be surprised if a few are fired during the upcoming season.

Here are six lead skippers who are in the hottest seats ahead of the 2026 campaign because of a disappointing win-loss record from previous years, a lack of or non-existent playoff success, constant turnover at key coaching positions on staff, poor roster management, or a combination of those factors.

Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles

Todd Bowles should walk around with a portable air conditioner tied to his hip. Since he took over for Bruce Arians in 2022, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been slightly better than .500, going 35-33 through four seasons. 

On the one hand, the Buccaneers captured three consecutive division titles during Bowles' tenure, but they've only won one playoff game to show for it—a Wild Card Round victory over a collapsing Philadelphia Eagles squad in the 2023 campaign. 

Furthermore, Bowles calls defensive plays, and his side of ball has gone on the decline. In 2025, Tampa Bay finished 20th and 19th in points and yards allowed, respectively.

In Week 15 of last season, wide receiver Mike Evans walked off the field saying, "It's third-and-28" after the Buccaneers defense gave up a backbreaking play that allowed the Atlanta Falcons to pull off a comeback victory. He probably wasn't the only person in the organization frustrated with the Bowles' defense.

Evans is in San Francisco now, but Bowles likely faces high pressure to get this team back to the playoffs and strengthen his side of the ball.

Hot Seat Meter: 9

Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales

Typically, head coaches coming off a playoff appearance with a team that's had little success in recent years aren't on the hot seat. 

However, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper can be impulsive. And even though the Panthers won the NFC South title last season, they finished with a sub-.500 record and needed help in Week 18 to win the division.

So, head coach Dave Canales must prove that his team didn't just benefit from playing in the league's weakest division. 

Canales' job security could also be tied to Bryce Young's development. The fourth-year quarterback enters a crucial term following his best season, throwing for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 63.6 percent completion rate.

Carolina exercised the fifth-year option in Young's rookie deal. During an interview with Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio, general manager Dan Morgan said the team will sign Young to an extension "at the right time."

If Young regresses, it may never happen in Carolina, and Canales will get some of the blame as an offensive-minded head coach. 

Morgan could look for a new coach-quarterback combination if Canales and Young take a step back this year. The 45-year-old lead skipper isn't in the hottest seat, but he must prove that the previous year wasn't a fluke in a bad division.

Hot Seat Meter: 6

Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni

As the Philadelphia Eagles head coach, Nick Sirianni is 59-26 in five seasons, leading the club to two Super Bowls and winning one. 

Yet Sirianni faces pressure for his coaching staff decisions. He's promoted two one-and-done offensive coordinators, Brian Johnson and Kevin Patullo. 

Aside from that, ESPN's Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler reported on "friction" within the Eagles' locker room, centered around quarterback Jalen Hurts.

In a quarterback-driven league, with offensive development as the key to success, Sirianni doesn't have much margin for error with his new coordinator, Sean Mannion, and a team that finished the previous campaign with internal issues.

If Mannion is another one-year offensive coordinator, the Eagles could look for a head coach who makes better choices for his assistants. Secondly, in a CEO-type role, Sirianni can't have disharmony amongst his players.

With standards and tensions high in Philadelphia, former Eagles center Jason Kelce believes the team could move on from Sirianni if "things don't go well" in the upcoming season.

Hot Seat Meter: 7

Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen

Most head coaches have three years to lead their team to the playoffs. Shane Steichen is entering his fourth year without a postseason appearance. In all three of his campaigns, the Indianapolis Colts have hovered around .500, going 25-26. 

In fairness to Steichen, he's coached the best version of quarterback Daniel Jones, who ruptured his Achilles in Week 15 of the previous season, which derailed the Colts' playoff hopes. Indianapolis brought 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement and lost its last four games after Jones went down.

Steichen should get a pass for the unfortunate injury luck at the most important position, but don't forget that the Colts lost two games following their Week 10 bye, with Jones under center. Perhaps the team was headed toward a post-Thanksgiving collapse anyway.

Jones is throwing again while in recovery. The Colts signed him to an extension, which likely came with Steichen's approval.

Although Jones is coming off a serious injury, he needs to justify his new two-year, $88 million deal. If he finishes the season as a bottom-tier quarterback across most passing stat categories and metrics, Steichen, an offensive-minded head coach, could be in danger of losing his job. 

With or without Jones, Steichen must get the Colts to the playoffs for the first time in his tenure. 

Hot Seat Meter: 8

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor

Zac Taylor is sitting on a scorching hot seat, the warmest among head coaches in the league.

ESPN's Adam Schefter talked to people around the league who believe quarterback Joe Burrow will look to play elsewhere if the Cincinnati Bengals have a disappointing 2026 season.

The Bengals have trended in the wrong direction since their Super Bowl LVI appearance four years ago. Cincinnati has gone from a title contender to an underachieving team with a high-powered offense and a perpetually leaky defense. In 2025, the Bengals had their first losing season since Burrow's rookie campaign.

Taylor is an offensive-minded head coach. So, he's done a good job with his side of the ball, though Burrow certainly helps in that regard. However, he's been unable to find a coordinator capable of elevating his defense, which has ranked 21st or worse in scoring and total yards in three consecutive years.

Former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's units mostly struggled, except in 2022. His successor, Al Golden, who was once his linebackers coach, led a defense that gave up the second-most yards and third-most points last year.

Burrow has battled injuries throughout his six pro seasons, a factor in the Bengals' shortcomings, but the star quarterback told reporters he wasn't "having fun" playing the game during the previous season. 

Burrow said those comments weren't directed at the team, but the Bengals may be willing to shake things up, with their star quarterback's input, to keep him content with the franchise's direction.

Hot Seat Meter: 10

Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn

In 2024, Dan Quinn had a strong first year with the Washington Commanders. They advanced to the NFC Championship Game with then-rookie Jayden Daniels. Well ahead of schedule in a rebuild, the Commanders exceeded expectations.

Last season, Washington regressed with an aging roster. Critics also questioned Quinn's decision to leave Daniels on the field in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a game in which he dislocated his left elbow. T

Daniels missed 10 games due to injuries, but Washington had other offensive issues. Quinn and play-caller Kliff Kingsbury had different perspectives for that side of the ball and parted ways. The Commanders hired David Blough to fill that vacancy.

As a defensive-minded head coach, Quinn needs a better showing from a revamped unit, even though he doesn't call plays. Washington signed Tim Settle, Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson, Leo Chenal and Nick Cross to bolster a unit that allowed the most yards and ranked 27th in scoring last season. 

Quinn's choice of an offensive coordinator is directly linked to Daniels' development. If the third-year signal-caller continues to regress after winning 2024 Rookie of the Year, the Commanders may dump Quinn and the entire coaching staff to find a new vision for their franchise player.

Hot Seat Meter: 7

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.