NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat in 2023
As many know, the NFL is a business. If a coach is not getting the results that an organization expects, they will be fired. Every year this list changes, I’m sure we will have a new set of names to discuss at this very time next summer. There are numerous coaches on the hot seat going into the 2023 season so I will not focus on all of them. Instead, I have focused on the primary names that deserve to be here.
Ron Rivera
Photo by: John McDonnell/The Washington Post
Rivera has been with the Commanders since the 2020 season, he was brought in to replace the previous head coach, Jay Gruden. Gruden was unprofessional at times, the franchise was looking for a proven commodity that could be taken seriously by the locker room. In Rivera’s first year, he coached the team to a 7-9 record. On paper this doesn’t look great, instead, this resulted in Washington winning the division and hosting a playoff game against future Super Bowl champs in the Tampa Bay Buccanneers. Rivera’s team fought hard but ultimately lost the game to Brady and the Bucs. Besides 2020, there hasn’t been much to be happy about. Since his first year in Washington, Rivera has coached the team to a 15-18-1 record. Many can say that Rivera has lacked high-quality quarterback play, this is true but at the end of the day, you need to get results in this league. Analysts expect this to be a make-or-break year for Rivera and the Commanders. Odds are not in the team’s favor as they look to compete against a stacked NFC East that had every other team in it make the playoffs last season with Philadelphia representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. Realistically, Rivera gets fired and Washington continues to look for a new coach that can finally bring this team consistent success.
Kevin Stefanski
Photo by: Amy Lemus/NurPhoto
Kevin Stefanski has been coaching the Browns since 2020. Stefanski was brought in to establish a dynamic offense, improved play calling, and help second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield improve after he struggled in 2019. In 2020, Stefanski immediately won over the city of Clevland. He coached the team to an 11-5 record, the team made its first playoff appearance since 2002. In the wildcard round, the Browns would upset division rivals Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. They then would travel to Kansas City and just barely lost to the Chiefs who eventually represented the AFC in the Super Bowl. Safe to say Stefanski exceeded expectations in his first season. Fans were looking for consistent results but things changed quickly. The Browns went 8-9 and missed the playoffs, this resulted in the team moving on from Baker Mayfield by trading him to Carolina. Going into the 2022 season, Clevland made a polarizing move by signing Deshaun Watson. Watson would be suspended for the first 11 games of the season, considering this many analysts projected a similar season for the Browns. The team went 7-10 in 2022 and again missed the playoffs. Going into Stefanski’s fourth year, it’s an understatement to say that he’s facing pressure. He now will have Watson for an entire season so there are no excuses now. In a stacked AFC, Stefanski and the Browns face an uphill battle hoping to get back to the playoffs. If this season does not result in the post season, I don’t see how Stefanski is brought back.
Brandon Staley
Photo by: Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Staley has been with Los Angeles since 2021, he is now going into his third year of coaching the Chargers. Some disagreed with the hire in 2021 due to Staley being a defensive coach, many thought the Chargers needed to bring an offensive mind to elevate star quarterback Justin Herbert’s play. In 2021, the Chargers went 9-8 and just missed the playoffs. In the last game of the season, the Chargers faced off against division rival Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers would end up losing this game on a field goal in overtime, many argue that this was due to Staley’s late-game decision. For context, if both teams tied then they would both make the playoffs. With 38 seconds left, the Raiders were driving and were on the Charger’s 39-yard line. Vegas seemed poised to settle with a tie, instead their thought process changed after Staley called a timeout. This stopped the clock, the Raiders then would run the ball and would gain 10 yards to put the team in field goal range. The Raiders made the kick resulting in them going to the playoffs while simultaneously knocking out the Chargers. Again to stress the issue, if Staley did not call the timeout, the Raiders most likely would have settled with a tie that would have gotten them and the Chargers in the postseason. Many questioned Staley’s decision and he received lots of flack for the call. Going into 2022, the hype for the Chargers was still there. The team would go 10-7 and would make the playoffs. The Chargers traveled to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars in the wildcard round. It was looking up for the Chargers until it wasn’t. Los Angeles forced the Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrance to throw four interceptions which led to an early 24-0 lead. Many thought the game was over, of course, the Chargers did what they do best and blew the game. Jacksonville came all the way back and won the game 31-30. Many saw this as a firable offense for Staley, especially after how the 2021 season ended. I do think Staley deserves one more year just to say that the organization gave him three years to coach the team. If the team doesn’t win a playoff game this year, I can say with 100% confidence that Staley will be relieved of his head coaching duties.
