NFL hot-seat rankings: Aaron Glenn feels the heat, Shane Steichen running out of time

Several NFL coaches are feeling the heat as the regular season nears its halfway point. A whopping 10 coaching jobs opened up last offseason, and it's safe to say that several coaches will receive their pink slips soon. Here's a look at the hottest seats with Week 8 of the regular season upon us. 

5. Nick Sirianni, Eagles 

Sirianni's situation is odd. It's hard to blame him for the Eagles' struggles on the injury front. Along with Jalen Hurts, the Eagles were missing DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks and Nolan Smith during Monday night's 38-21 loss to the Cowboys. Saquon Barkley played but was a non-factor in the second half, as his hamstring is clearly still an issue. 

The issue is that the Eagles were already in free fall before Hurts' medical situation. Philadelphia started the season with two unimpressive wins before being blown out in Week 3 by a Bears team that didn't have Caleb Williams. Shortly after that, they lost two-fifths of their starting offensive line when Lane Johnson retired and Cam Jurgens was traded to Baltimore. 

This is the second straight season in which the Eagles have fallen well short of expectations. Philadelphia's struggles since its Super Bowl-winning season have put Sirianni's status beyond this season in jeopardy.  

4. Dan Quinn, Commanders 

Quinn's heat has been intense since Washington's inexplicable lack of clock management at the end of their eventual tie against the Giants in Week 5. That game was sandwiched between two losses that put the Commanders at 1-4-1 entering their Week 7 bye. 

The shine from Quinn's first season in Washington is gone. The Commanders are just 6-16-1 since their 2024 NFC Championship game run, and it appears that things may get worse before they get better. The Commanders recently lost their best skill player -- Terry McLaurin -- for the season after he injured his knee during the team's Week 6 loss to the 49ers. 

If there are any positives for Washington, it's that Jayden Daniels is healthy and looking more like the 2024 version of himself. The Commanders also appear to have a budding star in rookie linebacker Sonny Styles. Additionally, Washington plays in the winnable NFC East, where every team has a losing record. 

3. Jim Harbaugh, Chargers   

Like Greg Roman before him, new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is the current scapegoat in Los Angeles. Barring a miraculous turnaround, the Chargers' merry-go-round at offensive coordinator will continue. The question is whether or not Chargers' ownership will be looking for a new coach, as well. 

This season has been an unmitigated disaster. The Chargers are now the NFL's only winless team after the Dolphins defeated the Jets on Sunday. More than the losing, though, is how the Chargers are losing. 

The offense is dead last in the NFL in points scored. Justin Herbert, a former Pro Bowler who set an NFL rookie record with 31 touchdown passes in 2020, looks like a shell of himself. Herbert's shocking regression is the biggest argument for moving on from Harbaugh, who was brought to Los Angeles to help elevate Herbert's career trajectory. 

Instead, Herbert is floundering, the team is in disarray, and the Chargers' drought of playoff wins will undoubtedly reach eight years by season's end. Ironically, all of this is happening exactly 20 years after Chargers owner Dean Spanos fired Marty Schottenheimer following a 14-2 regular season. 

2. Aaron Glenn, Jets 

It's not easy being green, especially for Glenn, who has been taking heat for his clock management (he let the Dolphins run out most of the clock at the end of the first half as they increased their lead to 14 points) during the Jets' loss to previously winless Miami. 

That debacle magnified how bad Glenn's Jets have been in the final two minutes of the first half. New York has been outscored 107-6 in those situations since the start of last season. Really, the Jets can't be any worse at the end of halves than they've been under Glenn. 

A similarly ugly stat is Glenn's record against divisional foes. The Jets are 0-8 in such games since the start of the 2025 season. 

Prior to hiring Glenn, Jets owner Woody Johnson said he wanted to show more patience after firing Saleh and former general manager Joe Douglas during the 2024 season. Johnson might have a change of heart, however, if the Jets' current struggles continue. 

1. Shane Steichen, Colts  

Steichen's situation couldn't be much worse. Following Chris Ballard's dismissal, it'll take nothing short of a miracle for Steichen to save his job. The issue (among others) is that the Colts could make that impossible if they decide to trade away some of their best players before the trade deadline. 

The 41-year-old Steichen hasn't been the main issue during his tenure in Indianapolis. Ballard deserves much more blame for the Colts' recent struggles, starting with his decision to select Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Steichen, fairly or not, also owns some of Richardson's lack of development. 

Looking back, Steichen's tenure in Indianapolis changed forever when Daniel Jones sustained his season-ending injury last season. The Colts started the 2025 season with an 8-2 record but finished 8-9 after 44-year-old Philip Rivers was unable to save their sinking ship. They're 2-5 this season and have continued to receive subpar play from the quarterback position. 

Steichen's time with the Colts is a cautionary tale of what happens when there is instability at the most important position in sports. Unfortunately for him, there will probably be another coach in his seat when the Colts finally find their next franchise quarterback. 

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