Jim Harbaugh and Todd Bowles headline early NFL coaching hot seat

One month into the 2026 season, head-coaching pressure is already building around the NFL. After 10 coaches were dismissed during or after the 2025 campaign, CBS Sports has now ranked 10 current head coaches whose jobs are either in jeopardy or trending that way.

Heat rising on Harbaugh, Bowles and Sirianni

Jim Harbaugh is one of the most scrutinized names on the list. Hired to elevate Justin Herbert and stabilize the Los Angeles Chargers, he has gone two seasons without a playoff win and opened 2026 at 0-4. While Herbert has absorbed much of the criticism, CBS Sports points to leaky pass protection, a thin receiving group and a poor fit with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as wider issues. The piece notes that owner Dean Spanos once fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season, a reminder that past achievements offer limited protection in that building.

In Tampa Bay, Todd Bowles carries the weight of a 2-12 slide over the Buccaneers’ last 14 games. The struggles trace back through last year and into a rocky start this fall, and ultimately land on the head coach. The offseason did Bowles no favours: franchise cornerstone Mike Evans left for the San Francisco 49ers, Baker Mayfield’s extension dragged into September, and the quarterback has not yet met expectations on his new deal. Asked what message he would send ownership about Bowles, Pro Bowl tackle Tristan Wirfs responded, “No comment,” before adding that he loves his coach – a brief exchange that captures the tension around the team.

Nick Sirianni is also under renewed scrutiny in Philadelphia less than two years removed from winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles. According to CBS Sports, his tenure has closely tracked the play of Jalen Hurts. Early success from Hurts brought a championship and an extension for Sirianni after 2024, but the offense’s current inconsistency may end up threatening his future there.

LaFleur, Ryans and Saleh under watch but safer for now

Some coaches on the list are viewed as less immediate firing candidates but still under watch. In Green Bay, Matt LaFleur is 2-7 over his last nine games, even though the Packers have started 2026 at 2-2, including a tight 17-14 win over the still-winless Buccaneers. The likely season-ending Achilles injury suffered by linebacker Edgerrin Cooper only adds to his challenges. Yet LaFleur’s recent extension through 2029 makes an end-of-year dismissal unlikely unless the team completely collapses and there are signs he has lost the locker room.

DeMeco Ryans is 0-4 with the Houston Texans, but his recent résumé buys him significant leeway. Houston has reached the AFC divisional round three straight seasons under his watch, and he is the league’s only coach to win at least one playoff game in each of the last three years. The Texans also rebounded from an 0-3 start to finish 12-5 in 2025. Still, CBS Sports notes the development of C.J. Stroud will be pivotal; ownership could judge Ryans partly on how much progress the quarterback shows over the final three months.

Robert Saleh, now in charge of the Tennessee Titans, is winless as well, but his team’s last three losses have all come by one score and the franchise entered 2026 in full rebuild mode. That context should protect him this year, though an offense ranked 31st in points scored could prompt a coordinator change if it does not improve.

Defensive collapses and missed playoffs fuel other hot seats

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell finds himself in a different kind of bind. Since former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson departed, the Lions are just 11-10 dating back to the start of 2025. The offense has largely held up, but the defense has cratered: no team has allowed more points this season, and Detroit ranks last in passing yards allowed, third-down defense and red-zone efficiency. Campbell is widely credited with reviving the franchise, but CBS Sports questions whether he can get the team back to its previous peak.

In Washington, Dan Quinn’s tenure is beginning to resemble his arc in Atlanta. After taking the Commanders to within one win of the Super Bowl in his first year, his club has gone 6-15 since. Injury issues for quarterback Jayden Daniels have hurt, but Washington went just 2-5 in his starts last season, and the defense now sits 31st in points allowed – a troubling mark for a defensive-minded coach.

Shane Steichen is in his fourth season with the Indianapolis Colts and has yet to reach the playoffs. After an 0-2 start this year, the Colts bounced back with wins over the Texans and Commanders. CBS Sports frames Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the kind of swing game Indianapolis must win to move past its current ceiling, noting that last year the Colts arrived in Pittsburgh at 7-2, lost a winnable contest and slid to finish 8-9.

Finally, Aaron Glenn is under pressure with the New York Jets after a 4-17 overall record since taking over in 2025 and three straight losses to begin the new season. Even so, his contract runs through 2029 and owner Woody Johnson has publicly preached patience after past coaching churn. CBS Sports suggests that this stance might buy Glenn more time, but a truly disastrous season could still force the organization’s hand.