The 2026 NFL offseason saw a massive changing of the guard in the head coaching ranks, with a whopping ten new head coaches hired across the league. That number tied for the most in a single offseason, which speaks to how drastic things look going into the new year.
It also means there could be fewer head coaching hires made in the 2027 offseason. The last time ten new coaches were hired in the same cycle was in 2022, and the following year in 2023, only five new head coaches were hired. There’s always the chance that a one-year stint takes place, but generally, NFL teams like to give their coaching hire more leeway to let their vision play out.
There are a few coaches, however, who head into 2026 with somewhat of a hot seat. Whether they be experienced coaches coming off a down year or newer coaches with a leash that’s running out, there are a few individuals who could see their job security threatened with a down year this season. Let’s take a look at the five NFL head coaches with the hottest seats going into the 2026-27 regular season.
Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
If I told you this time last year that Dan Quinn would be on the hot seat going into the 2026 season, you would have looked at me like I was crazy. The Washington Commanders were the success story of 2024, going from 4-13 the previous year to a 12-5 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship game. The future was looking bright for them with Jayden Daniels at quarterback.
Suddenly, though, things started to fall apart. Injuries befell Daniels and an aging roster around him, and the Commanders only went 5-12 in 2025, putting them back in the rut they were in before Quinn originally arrived. The offense took a step back, and the defense (Quinn’s specialty) had the second-worst PFN Defense Impact Score in the NFL at just 59.4.
Washington totally overhauled their defense this offseason, bringing in seven new projected starters on that side of the ball. Quinn has the pieces in place to bounce back in 2026, but if the Commanders put together another year like they had last season, it could see his job put in jeopardy.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor is one of five NFL head coaches who have been in their current role since 2019, and he’s the only one of that bunch with a sub-.500 record. Granted, he did take the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2021 season, narrowly losing to the Los Angeles Rams by three points.
The Bengals followed that up with a strong 12-4 season the following year, but they’ve since missed the playoffs in three consecutive years. 2025 was their worst year under Taylor since Joe Burrow’s rookie season, as they went just 6-11 and came in third place in the AFC North. Granted, Burrow missed a lot of the year due to injury, but the lack of playoff appearances in recent seasons is worrisome.
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Now, Cincinnati doesn’t have as strong of an excuse that their defense isn’t up to par. They traded for Dexter Lawrence and acquired free agents like Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Jonathan Allen to boost that side of the ball. The expectation is for the Bengals to return to the postseason, and if they don’t, Taylor could be the one held the most accountable.
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
There are only 12 NFL head coaches who have been in their current job for three or more seasons. Of those 12 coaches, Shane Steichen is the only one who has yet to lead his team to a playoff appearance. Granted, he’s had the Indianapolis Colts competitive in all three of those years, but that’s jarring to think about.
In his three years leading the Colts, Steichen has gone 9-8, 8-9, and 8-9. Things looked great for Indianapolis in 2025 after they got off to an 8-2 start to the season, but a season-ending injury to Daniel Jones and a drop-off in play across the board saw them lose their remaining seven games and fail to even reach the .500 mark.
The Colts have Jones coming back from injury in 2026, but they lost a handful of contributors in free agency due to their having to pay both Jones and Alec Pierce. Steichen still has a talented roster to work with, so the excuses are running out. If Indianapolis fails to make the playoffs again this year, one can’t help but wonder when they’ll draw the line and make the call to cut ties with him.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles had big shoes to fill replacing Bruce Arians after the latter led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory, and the hope was that Bowles’ promotion from defensive coordinator to head coach would provide some stability and keep the team competitive. Things started with three consecutive NFC South divisional wins, even though they went a mediocre 27-24 combined over those three years.
Similar to the Colts, however, the Buccaneers had a massive collapse in the second half of the 2025 season. They started off the year at 6-2, but they ended up finishing just 8-9, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The NFC South is more competitive now; the Carolina Panthers spent big money on impact defenders coming off their divisional win, the New Orleans Saints are on the rise, and the Atlanta Falcons have a new head coach and potentially a new quarterback.
Given the constant average play Tampa Bay has had over the years, one can’t help but wonder if they’ve hit their ceiling with Bowles as their head coach. You could certainly do worse than him as far as head coaches go, but staying in purgatory is the last thing you want if you’re an NFL franchise. If the Buccaneers don’t bounce back in 2026, they could look to pull the plug.
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
It feels unfair to put Aaron Glenn on the hot seat so early in his tenure with the New York Jets. He’s only heading into his second year as the team’s head coach, and this is clearly a rebuilding team with another year or two before they have a good enough roster to really make some noise. But it’s an unfortunate reality in the NFL, and the early returns with Glenn haven’t been very good.
The Jets went just 3-14 in 2025, tying them for the worst record in the NFL. Their offense had the third-lowest PFN Offense Impact Score in the league, and their defense became the only team in NFL history to not tally a single interception over the course of an entire season. That’s a damning statistic, especially for a head coach whose expertise comes on the defensive side of the ball.
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Glenn faces an uphill battle carrying a Jets team with Geno Smith as their quarterback into the playoffs. New York is clearly in rebuilding mode, as their trade deadline moves shipping out Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams indicated. Unless they surpass expectations and put together a competitive club, it’s starting to feel like they won’t put all their chips on the table into forming a playoff contender until after Glenn’s tenure as head coach.
