On Tuesday morning, the axe fell on yet another NFL head coach, as the Buffalo Bills decided to fire Rex Ryan with one game remaining in the season.
Ryan, who joined the Bills before the 2015 season, looked to be on the outs with the team and Sunday sealed his fate as Buffalo was eliminated from playoff contention.
With Ryan’s firing, there are three teams now looking for full-time head coaches, as the Los Angeles Rams are looking to replace Jeff Fisher and the Jacksonville Jaguars move on after firing Gus Bradley last week.
What other teams could make coaching changes this offseason? To answer that question, we have our list of coaches that could potentially be on the hot seat when the campaign ends.
Chicago Bears – John Fox
Chance of Change: 6/10
Much has been made about the Bears not quitting on Fox despite a slew of injuries and bad luck this season, but after giving up 41 points to Washington on Saturday, it still seems that there’s at least a decent chance a change will be made. Ryan Pace will likely be safe if there are any moves made this offseason, but with how bad the Bears have been in recent years, nothing can be assumed at this point.
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Cincinnati Bengals – Marvin Lewis
Chance of Change: 8/10
Lewis is currently the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, but with his team sitting at 5-9-1 and perennially underachieving despite having some of the best talent in the league, a change has to be in the offing in the Queen City.
Cleveland Browns – Hue Jackson
Chance of Change: 1/10
Jon Kitna was able to pop a bottle of champagne this week, as the Browns will not join the 2008 Detroit Lions in the “0-16 club.” The Browns beat the Chargers in a thrilling game, and although the win knocked them out of the top spot in the NFL Draft order, it still doesn’t seem like Cleveland is going to be in a hurry to fire a coach that was one of the most highly sought after leaders in the league when he joined the organization.
Detroit Lions – Jim Caldwell
Chance of Change: 2/10
The Lions had a two-game lead in the division heading into the final month of the regular season, but they’ve seen that lead evaporate and they could miss the playoffs if they lose Sunday to Green Bay and if Washington wins their game. If that happens, then the Lions could conceivably fire Caldwell and promote offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who has been tied to several coaching vacancies and has even been mentioned as a possible new head coach for the Bears .
Indianapolis Colts – Chuck Pagano
Chance of Change: 5/10
Pagano took full responsibility for his team’s failures this season in a very winnable AFC South Division, and even though it would be financially painful to fire him after just one season on his contract extension, the Colts have to evaluate whether or not he’s the right man to lead them forward from here.
New York Jets – Todd Bowles
Chance of Change: 8/10
Everything about the Jets screams “mess” right now, and it would not be shocking at all to see everybody in charge of football ops with this team get fired. Their quarterback situation is a disaster, they are loaded with aging veterans, and they are woefully lacking in young stars to help fill the void.
San Francisco 49’ers – Chip Kelly
Chance of Change: 4/10
The 49’ers could potentially get the number one pick in the NFL Draft if they lose next week, but whether Kelly or G.M. Trent Baalke will be around to utilize that selection remains to be seen. A teardown seems like its badly needed in the Bay Area, and it’s very difficult to read the tea leaves on what will happen with everyone involved in this situation.
