It's never a fun thing for a fanbase to get continuous information that their team selected the wrong head coach. For the Dallas Cowboys, it's been a roller coaster of a ride in the Brian Schottenheimer era. Barely anyone believed Jerry Jones made the right decision initially. Their search to replace Mike McCarthy seemed a year late, wth an owner who spends at leisure holding on to McCarthy while kneecapping him with no free agent spending after a third straight disappointing playoff showing.
Two years later and the Cowboys haven't sniffed the playoffs and appear headed down the wrong road again under a coach who went into his interview to try and save his OC job but emerged with the head coaching gig. The number of top coaches hired in that
two-year cycle is nauseating for Cowboys fans. Seattle's Mike McDonald and Carolina's Dave Canales took over in 2024. Chicago's Ben Johnson, New England's Mike Vrabel, and Jacksonville's Liam Coen were all onboarded in 2025 with Schottenheimer.
Despite being 14 years between head coach opportunities, Schottenheimer won over the local media and a lot of the fan base with his press conferences. His charm and charisma were evident, and he seemed to have a good pulse on the organization and great rapport with his players. But 22 games in, the latest being an unforgivable home loss to an 0-4 Buccaneers team with a rookie UDFA backup QB, and Schottenheimer finds himself on the hot seat.
He's not alone. There are plenty of coaches who are hearing their names bandied about as potential offseason, or even December, casualties. Openings could be far reaching this NFL offseason. With the normal body temperature at 98.6℉, here's a rundown of coaches who might not make it to next year.
Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys | Chair Temperature: 135℉
Through 22 games, the Cowboys have only had one instance of winning 2 or mor games in a row; a three-game streak of wins over the Raiders, Eagles and Chiefs last season. No back-to-back wins outside of that. The team is on their second defensive coordinator in two seasons who ranks at the bottom of the totem pole, and the offense's isn't even his. Dak Prescott is head coach proof. If he's healthy, Dallas is atop the leaderboards under Jason Garrett, Kellen Moore, Mike McCarthy and Schottenheimer. Meanwhile the in-game decision making has been maddening.
Nick Sirianni, Eagles | Chair Temp: 105℉
The Eagles appear to be imploding from the outside, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's the case on the inside. But the cracks are showing. Sirianni has a stellar record though; 61-28 in the regular season, 6-4 in the playoffs with a Super Bowl win.
The saving grace is this is a team that has started off slow before, and then catching fire for the middle of the season and down the stretch. The Eagles are ridiculously banged up, but if things continue to spiral downward, he could be on his way out in Philly.
Dan Quinn, Commanders | Chair Temp: 120℉
In his third year, Quinn is now two games below .500 as HC of Washington. His record has been tied to QB Jaydon Daniels' health; and Daniels is being rushed back from yet another elbow injury this week to try and save Washington's season. If John Harbaugh leads a turnaround in the East in his first year with a backup QB, then the NFC East could jettison all three opposing coaches this offseason.
Aaron Glenn, Jets | Chair Temp: 150℉
Glenn has been kneecapped by his organizations refusal to get him a quarterback to build around, but his 4-17 record through 1+ seasons indicates he may never get a real chance to show what he can do.
Demeco Ryans, Texans | Chair Temp: 115℉
This one feels crazy considering how things started for Ryans in Houston. A 32-19 record through his first three seasons included a slow start to 2025 (0-3) but they were able to turn things around. If this slide (0-4 heading into Week 5) continues, then Ryans could be back on the market this offseason (which would be a beautiful gift to the team up the highway).
Todd Bowles, Buccaneers | Chair Temp: 135℉
The Bucs may have saved their season with Thursday's win, but a weird decision to go for it from the one-yard line when a field goal would've made a 14-point lead three scores. Before Week 5, Tampa Bay had lost 12 of its previous 15 contests. If the porous Dallas defense is the only elixir the Bucs find this year, Bowles could be on his way out.
Zac Taylor, Bengals | Chair Temp: 125℉
Taylor engineered a great 2021 run, moving the Bengals above .500 (10-7) in his third season and winning the AFC. A 12-4 season followed, but it's been mediocrity ever since. The universe knows he has one of the best QBs in the game in Joe Burrow, and the front office may demand better if a third-straight season hovers around .500 while other AFC North coaches have undergone coaching changes.
Jim Harbaugh, Chargers | Chair Temp: 100℉
Perhaps the most lukewarm of seats, the Chargers have back-to-back 11-win seasons under Harbaugh, but their offense has been horrific in two wild-card losses. Now they sit at 0-4 to start the 2026 campaign. The team would likely give Harbaugh a season to turn it around, unless they under up with 4 or less wins, but this is one to keep an eye on.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Brian Schottenheimer among 8 NFL head coaches on hot seat
