Black Monday: NFL Coaches That Could Be Fired After Week 17

While some NFL teams are gearing up for the postseason, those that fell short of a playoff berth may be looking to make some major changes, and replacing the head coach is often the top priority.

As many as 13 teams could both fire their current head coach and begin to scour the NFL assistant and college ranks for their next leader. Some general managers could also be on the the move.

Below breaks out each possible firing, and a reason for why.

Philadelphia Eagles- Andy Reid

It’s been predicted for more than a month, and is the most likely to happen. The Eagles knew their season was going nowhere, but had more respect for Reid than letting him him go in the middle of the year. During his tenure Reid has a 130-92 record, with seven division titles and one trip to the Super Bowl.

Many of the below teams could offer him a job for next season, assuming Reid wants to immediately return to coaching.

Cleveland Browns- Pat Shurmur

The Browns are under new ownership who may want to start fresh. Still, Shurmur rallied his team midway through the season after an 0-5 start, and Cleveland had big wins over division rivals Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

Dallas Cowboys- Jason Garrett

If New Orleans hadn’t come to terms with Sean Payton, would Garrett be safe now?

It’s important to consider, because if the Cowboys don’t beat Washington, they’ll miss the playoffs for the third straight year. Dallas has come on towards the end of the season, and reportedly Garrett will have one more go round even if the Cowboys miss the postseason.

Buffalo Bills- Chan Gailey

According to reports, Gailey is out. The Bills could also fire their general manager Buddy Nix. Buffalo gave Gailey three years to turn around a club that hasn’t made the playoffs in 13 years, and invested heavily this offseason to improve its defense, only for the Bills to rank dead last against the rush.

Carolina Panthers- Ron Rivera

Rivera’s second season with Carolina has played much the same way as his first. The Panthers started out of the gate 2-8, and have now won four of their last five games.

Carolina is still looking for a full-time general manager, who could make the final call on bringing Rivera back for one more year.

Arizona Cardinals- Ken Whisenhunt

The Cardinals and Whisenhunt had the worst trouble with quarterbacks this season. Arizona could not find the right man to put under center, and they fielded the worst scoring offense in the league as a result.

A strong 4-0 start, followed by nine consecutive losses, will probably clinch Whisenhunt’s exit.

Jacksonville Jaguars- Mike Mularkey

The Jaguars are also expected to clean house with a new coach and GM. Mularkey had just one year, but couldn’t seem to get his offense or second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert going.

Reports have pegged Reid, and even Alabama’s Nick Saban as possible targets for new owner Shad Khan.

Kansas City Chiefs- Romeo Crennel

Put Crennel and GM Scott Pioli alongside tandems that will be shown the door after Week 17. Like Arizona, the Chiefs don’t have a proper quarterback to help out running back Jamaal Charles.

Kansas City was also tied to rumors of another TV analyst, NBC’s Tony Dungy. But the former Super Bowl winning coach has denied the rumors and said he will not return to the sidelines.

New York Jets- Rex Ryan

Ryan has battled media leaks all season regarding his quarterbacks, and said Friday he wants to stay with New York for 15 years.

For now his job may be safe, and so is GM Mike Tannebaum’s. Both will need to figure out how to solve the Jets woeful offense if they are to survive next season.

Tennessee Titans- Mike Munchak

It’s only his second season, but the Titans suffered some huge blow out losses, and owner Bud Adams publicly lambasted players and coaches. However, Munchak is apparently safe, but may head into his third season without running back Chris Johnson. The Titans may release him rather than fork over nearly $9 million guaranteed salary.

Chicago Bears- Lovie Smith

The Bears fell from grace after a 7-1 start, but can still make the playoffs with a win and by rooting for Green Bay to beat Minnesota, thus possibly saving Smith’s job.

Chicago must keep in mind that Smith is more of a defensive coach. The Bears troubles over the last two months stem from their offense, not a defense with two Pro Bowl starters.

Detroit Lions- Jim Schwartz

The Lions have the NFL’s best receiver, the highest-ranked passing offense, and are second in the league in total yards per game, but couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone.

Schwartz will get another season, as Detroit may be hesitant to breakup a core that is just one year removed from the playoffs.

San Diego Chargers- Norv Turner

After another year out of the playoff hunt, Turner and GM A.J. Smith are reportedly out at the conclusion of the season.

So much so, that NFL Network analyst and former head coach Steve Mariucci was linked to the Chargers job last week. Though he’s denied it. Whoever comes in will have to find a way to get on the same page with quarterback Phillip Rivers.