We’re only three weeks into the 2026 NFL season, and already the pressure is starting to build in more than one city. A few teams have stumbled out of the gate, and when that happens, the conversation turns quickly from slow start to serious trouble.
That’s especially true for coaches. In the NFL, an 0-2 hole is brutal - historically, nearly 90 percent of teams that start that way miss the playoffs. So when a team opens with losses and the season already feels like it’s slipping, the heat lands on the head coach fast.
Here are three names that are already drawing that kind of attention.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles was already sitting third in last week’s Head Coach Hot Seat Power Rankings, and things have only gotten worse from there.
Losing to the Cleveland Browns is one thing. Losing to them at home is another level of bad.
Even before last season ended, there was chatter that the Buccaneers might move on from Bowles. Instead, they kept him, and he’s built up plenty of goodwill in the front office.
But the results haven’t matched that trust. Tampa Bay missed the playoffs last season, Bowles is now 35-35 as the Bucs’ head coach since 2022, and now his team is getting outplayed at home by Cleveland.
This is not the kind of situation that goes away in a week. It’s one that’s going to be watched closely all season.
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ situation is even more straightforward: this is a make-or-break year for Shane Steichen.
Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has made it clear that Indianapolis expects a return to the postseason, and if that doesn’t happen, changes are coming. On top of that, GM Chris Ballard is in the final year of his contract, so the stakes around the whole operation are obvious.
That’s what makes a 0-2 start so rough. The Colts enter Week 3 with the Houston Texans coming to town, and while they just pushed the Chiefs to overtime, that doesn’t change the record. In the NFL, moral victories don’t count.
If Indianapolis is going to keep this from turning into a full-blown crisis, the turnaround has to come quickly.
Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
Matt LaFleur signed a contract extension earlier this year, but that hasn’t kept the questions from showing up after the Packers’ ugly Thursday night loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons went into Lambeau Field and were good enough to leave Packers fans booing and checking their pulse. That’s the kind of performance that puts a coach back under the microscope in a hurry.
LaFleur won’t be the only one feeling the pressure if this keeps up. He and GM Brian Gutekunst could both be in trouble if anything happens to Jordan Love, who has been running for his life and taking a beating so far this season. Those hits are adding up, and at some point they’re going to become a major issue.
For now, the Packers have just one win since beating the Bears on December 7 last season.
In Other News...
Colts Injury Report Brings Relief With One Big Texans Concern Still Looming
The Colts got a little clarity on the injury front this week as they and the Texans worked through practice ahead of Sundays matchup. Indianapolis still has its own health questions, with several players showing up as limited or not practicing, including wide receivers Ashton Dulin and Alec Pierce, and Pierce is expected to land on injured reserve.
Houston, though, has its own issue that could matter just as much for the game plan. The Texans report included key names such as tackle Trent Brown and receiver Nico Collins, with both listed among the players dealing with injuries, and that leaves one of the bigger concerns in the matchup still hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Colts May Get A Huge Defensive Boost For Must Win Texans Test
The Colts are getting some encouraging signs on the defensive side as they prepare for a Week 3 showdown with the Texans. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has been dealing with a groin injury, is trending toward being available for the matchup, a development that would matter plenty for an Indianapolis secondary facing a pivotal early-season test.
Wards status is still the main item to watch, especially with his recent concussion history from last season lingering in the background. Indianapolis has already ruled out wide receiver Ashton Dulin for the game, so any boost from Ward would help balance out what the Colts can bring to a must-win division battle in Houston. [Read more 🡒]
Sauce Gardners Colts Start Has Brought More Heat Than Answers
Sauce Gardner arrived in Indianapolis with the sort of rsum that usually comes with instant credibility, and he has tried to bring that same edge to the Colts secondary. A two-time first-team All-Pro and the 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Gardner has already stepped into a leadership role since the trade from the Jets, even as the broader results have been uneven and the team has dropped to 1-3 with him in the building.
Justin Walley has been asked to fill in at nickel corner in Gardners absence, and the rookie has been getting thrown into the kind of reps that can speed up development whether the day goes cleanly or not. It has been a useful stretch for the Colts to see what they have behind their headline addition, but it also underscores the larger question hanging over the move: when Gardner is on the field, how quickly can this start turn from intrigue into the kind of impact Indianapolis expected? [Read more 🡒]