It’s never too early to talk about which head coach might not be gainfully employed for much longer.
The equation is usually pretty simple. Owners like money, and to make the most sweet cash they need fans interested and engaged throughout the entire season. For that, winning needs to happen.
A championship or two would also be swell. But at minimum a head coach needs to win enough games to remain competitive if he wants to keep his job. Even after accomplishing that many noble souls are still tossed into the coaching abyss each January.
Here are three head coaches who should already be concerned about their job status.
1. Dennis Allen: This feels inevitable. Allen will be ousted along with general manager Reggie McKenzie, who spent his riches on a 2009 Pro Bowl team. The Raiders had by far the most salary cap space this past offseason ($63 million), and McKenzie invested it mostly in aging veterans who are clinging to name value.
The Raiders are winless as they forge ahead with a rookie quarterback leading a 23rd-ranked offense.
2. Gus Bradley: I hope this doesn’t happen. Bradley is one of the NFL’s most intense and fiery coaches, which makes for great entertainment whenever he says words publicly. And concerns right now about his job status should still be lukewarm at best because Jaguars owner Shadid Khan understands his team is in a rebuilding phase.
However, a basic principle of head coach job security still applies here. If your team is getting repeatedly whacked, the little security you have goes away fast. The Jaguars have lost their first two games by a combined score of 72-27, which included giving up 34 unanswered points to the Eagles in Week 1.
3. Jeff Fisher: Like Bradley’s situation, here we have another glaring example of a coaching fate far removed from the hands of the coach in question. Fisher’s Rams are down two quarterbacks and preparing to start third-stringer Austin Davis for the second straight week. He looked pretty OK in a Week 2 win, but that won’t last much longer.
St. Louis is also playing without Chris Long for eight-to-10 weeks. The impact of his injury is cushioned by an insanely deep defensive line, but losing a pass rusher who’s recorded 33 sacks over the past three seasons still isn’t much fun.
