Who Will Be the Next NFL Head Coach Fired? 

Despite the coming blast of cold December weather, playoff races are heating up around the league. However, teams vying for postseason berths aren’t the only ones playing out their schedules. Several teams have underperformed their expectations in 2022, and now those coaches find themselves on the hot seat. But who will be the next NFL head coach fired?

The NFL coaching carousel has already made a few spins this season. Carolina dismissed head coach Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start in 2022. Through less than three seasons, Rhule’s Panthers managed just an 11-27 record. The next coach to go came five weeks later, when Indianapolis fired head coach Frank Reich after the Colts started 3-5-1 despite favorable Super Bowl odds heading into the season. 

Rhule and Reich couldn’t complete their seasons, and they might be joined by others from the coaching fraternity if franchises want to get a head start on the interview process. So, here’s a look at which NFL head coach might get the pink slip next. 

Nathaniel Hackett, Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos enter the 2022 season with Super Bowl aspirations. The team tapped Nathaniel Hackett to replace Vic Fangio as head coach, bringing in an offensive mind with experience working with Aaron Rodgers. The Broncos then paid a hefty price to acquire Russell Wilson via trade. But Broncos county has not been able to get this ride going. 

Denver ranks last in the league in points-per-game (15.6) and total points scored (218), heading into Week 16. While those are terrible figures on their own, the fact that Denver’s defense ranks top-3 in points allowed (18.1) makes it even worse. At 4-10, the Broncos have already been eliminated from the playoffs. Had the team scored exactly 18 points in every game this season, they’d be 9-5 and holding a Wild Card spot. Hackett could very well be one-and-done as a head coach. 

Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals entered the 2022 season among the dark horses in NFL futures bets. After making the postseason in Kingsbury’s third season, many expected the Cardinals to take the next step as a franchise. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. 

At 4-10, Arizona approaches the stretch run of the season among the five teams officially eliminated from postseason contention. The Cardinals sport a 1-7 record at home so far this season and the second-worst point differential in the NFC. They’re feature the league’s worst scoring defense. And while it’s hard to blame an offensive-minded head coach for that, the Cards are only 18th in scoring and Kingsbury and star quarterback Kyler Murray did not seem to be on the same page at all this season. 

Lovie Smith, Houston Texans

It’s been a disastrous season for the Houston Texans. Heading into Week 16, the team holds the NFL’s worst record (1-12-1) and have lost nine in a row. The Texans are winless at home this season and continue to cycle through quarterbacks, looking for an answer. One more loss locks in the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, so that might provide the solution. 

It’s hard to imagine any team having four different head coaches in four consecutive seasons, but that’s what’s on the table for Houston. Lovie Smith took over for David Culley after just one season, but the 64-year-old Smith always felt like a placeholder. If the Texans feel the need to get ahead of other franchises in the interview process, they may dismiss Smith to have their choice among the top candidates.