Week 1 barely got going before the pressure started building on six NFL head coaches.
Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut put Todd Bowles at the top of the list after Tampa Bay’s rough opening day. The Buccaneers fell behind 21-3 against Cincinnati and were still trailing 27-10 in the third quarter before a late push cut the final margin to six points. Even with the rally, the loss left Bowles sitting at 2-8 since last year’s Week 9 bye.
Todd Monken checks in next after Cleveland’s 34-10 loss to Jacksonville. Deshaun Watson was sacked five times and threw an interception, and Monken’s postgame comments did him no favors.
After reviewing the film, he said there were “really good things on film.” When asked whether players still support Watson, Monken answered, “they don’t have a choice.
This isn’t a debate.” That line is going to hang around him, especially with tank talk already surfacing in Cleveland after one Sunday.
Dan Quinn lands third after Washington’s 24-22 loss to Philadelphia. His record sits at 2-11 since Week 6 of last season, and the defense still looks stuck. Every loss makes the situation around Quinn tighter.
Shane Steichen is next after Indianapolis was blown out at home by the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts converted just 30 percent on third down, finished with 251 yards and turned it over twice on 12 drives. With Chris Ballard’s contract running through 2026 and no playoff berth in four years, there’s not much protection there.
Aaron Glenn is fifth even though the Jets beat Tennessee 23-10. Players backed him in the locker room, which helped soften the blow. But the schedule still has Cleveland, Miami, Las Vegas and Arizona ahead, so the heat only cooled a little.
Matt LaFleur rounds out the six after Green Bay let another late lead slip away against Minnesota. The Packers have now blown four double-digit leads in the last 12 months.
LaFleur took three points off the board in the fourth quarter, then watched a failed fourth-and-1 turn into a Minnesota score and a Packers collapse. A January extension gives him more breathing room than most of the others, but the repeated meltdowns still put his name in the conversation.
Some of these coaches were already on a 2026 firing watch earlier this year, and Week 1 only sped up the timeline. Baker Mayfield now gets Cleveland in Week 2 and has already warned his former team, setting up a matchup that will put two of these coaches under the microscope at once. Bowles, Monken, Quinn, Steichen, Glenn and LaFleur all head into Week 2 with less margin than they had seven days ago.
In Other News...
Bucs Loss Took On New Meaning After What Happened To Joe Burrow
The Buccaneers walked off the field in Week 1 with a loss to Cincinnati, but the game took on a different tone once Joe Burrows postgame soreness became part of the conversation. Burrow guided the Bengals to a 33-27 win over Tampa Bay, throwing for 254 yards and a touchdown while also taking off for 20 yards, even as he absorbed two significant hits along the way.
For Tampa Bay, the result now sits beside the bigger question of Burrows condition after back tightness and shoulder discomfort showed up in practice later in the week. Burrow has said he expects to play against Houston in Week 2, which only sharpens the sense that the Bucs were part of a hard-fought opener that may have left a lasting mark beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Evans Already Got What He Was Missing In Tampa
After 12 seasons in Tampa Bay, Mike Evans has quickly found the kind of role he was looking for with the San Francisco 49ers. In his first game with his new team, he was targeted often on third downs, caught six passes for 49 yards and a touchdown, and immediately looked like a player the offense intended to lean on rather than fit in around.
For Evans, the move was about chasing another Super Bowl while staying central to the game plan, and early signs suggest the 49ers are willing to make that happen. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already praised the way Evans has fit and pointed to an offense built to play to his strengths, which makes the next stretch worth watching for anyone who followed his long run in Tampa. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Just Gave The Bucs An Early Problem They Feared
The Buccaneers left Week 1 with a familiar kind of frustration: a competitive offense, a chance to win, and too many giveaways to survive. Tampa Bay fell 33-27 to the Bengals, undone by four fumbles in all, three of them coming from Baker Mayfield in a game where the Bucs still managed to move the ball without star wide receiver Mike Evans.
Todd Bowles didnt hide from the obvious issue afterward, making it clear the quarterback has to take better care of the football. Even so, the coach also pointed to the way the offense functioned and sounded encouraged by what it could become, which is why the turnovers sting so much more than a typical opener. The Bucs can live with a few early-season growing pains, but they know the margin for error gets thin fast when the ball keeps hitting the turf. [Read more 🡒]