It’s easy to declare, based purely on history, that there will be seven to nine head coaching vacancies in the upcoming coaching carousel. And maybe it will be.
But for the time being, a special atmosphere has emerged. Some owners may not complete the pink slip when the time comes.
Teams are starting to realize that the revolving door doesn’t lead anywhere. This constant change leads to constant unrest. That patience is a virtue, not a sign of incompetence.
That said, here’s what I picked up in recent days about the hot spots, outside of the three teams (Jets, Saints, Bears) where the hammer fell.
Jaguars: Many remain surprised that coach Doug Pederson wasn’t fired. It is still seen as a given that he will be gone after the end of the season today. The only question is whether GM Trent Baalke will stay. There are rumors that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson wants the job, but he may want his own personnel manager.
Robbers: From the outside, it’s seen as just a matter of time before Antonio Pierce runs out of time. The atmosphere inside the building is that nothing will happen. Maybe they are delusional. Or maybe they think the owners understand that the quarterback situation made it impossible to win this year. We’re told that when one member of the staff heard that Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew were the top options for 2024, this is what he said: “Anyone but them.”
Patriots: This is the mirror image of the Raiders situation. From the outside, few think owner Robert Kraft will blow away Jerod Mayo just a year after making him Bill Belichick’s heir apparent. However, nerves are extremely tense in the building about what could happen when the season officially ends.
Giants: In October, co-owner John Mara said he doesn’t expect any major changes. After that, the losses kept coming. The feeling arose that Mara would clean house and fire coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. In mid-December we received indications that Schoen will be safe. The atmosphere now is that there will indeed be no changes. That Mara realizes that he was too quick to shake things up. That there is no reason to think that the next regime will be better than the current one.
Cowboys: Coach Mike McCarthy has gone from absolutely out to maybe to no one really knows – and that’s the way Jerry Jones likes it. The concern is the devil he knows versus the devil he doesn’t know. Again, will the next coach be better than McCarthy? Whatever Jones does, the clock is ticking; McCarthy’s contract expires Jan. 14, which leaves him open to talking to any other team that might be looking for a coach.
BuccaneersEver since Bill Belichick consigliere Mike Lombardi started pushing the false idea that Todd Bowles could retire, some have wondered if ownership could retire Bowles the same way Bruce Arians did. Or maybe they would do a Bowles/Liam Coen trade, similar to the decision to fire Lovie Smith and promote Dirk Koetter before anyone else could hire Koetter as head coach. However, if the Bucs win the NFC South, Bowles isn’t going anywhere. If they fall short today and lose to the Saints while the Falcons beat the Panthers, the situation will need to be monitored.
Foals: Everything is quiet about the plans of owner Jim Irsay, who cannot be happy with the way the past two seasons have gone. Some think former Colts punter Pat McAfee publicly torched the team last week because Irsay or someone close to him made it clear that major changes were coming.
There may be surprises. Often there are. For now, we know about the most obvious places where changes will occur.
