Seven NFL Coaches Face Early Pressure as Pivotal Week 5 Games Loom
The short version
- Coaches assessed: Aaron Glenn (Jets), Jeff Hafley (Dolphins), Robert Saleh (Titans), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Dan Quinn (Commanders), Todd Bowles (Buccaneers) and Dan Campbell (Lions).
- The Jets, Dolphins, Titans and Buccaneers are all winless after four games.
- DeMeco Ryans is not on the hot seat, though a Week 5 loss at Tennessee could change that.
- The Week 5 slate includes Texans-Titans, Browns-Jets, Broncos-Chargers, Giants-Commanders and Buccaneers-Cowboys on Thursday.
- Baker Mayfield is out for Tampa Bay, and Washington's defense has allowed 122 points.
Four weeks into the 2026 season, a Yahoo Sports review puts seven NFL head coaches under scrutiny ahead of pivotal Week 5 matchups.
Four weeks into the 2026 NFL season, a Yahoo Sports hot-seat review has placed seven head coaches under early scrutiny, several of them in new jobs after the last hiring cycle. With Week 5 opening Thursday, a number of those coaches face games the report frames as potentially decisive for their standing.
Houston's DeMeco Ryans is the one name the report explicitly leaves off the list, though it cautions that a Week 5 loss at Tennessee could change that in a hurry. The coach on the other sideline has less security. Robert Saleh's Titans are winless and have produced only 55 points, and the report questions his choice of Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator after Saleh went 20-36 across four seasons leading the Jets.
Aaron Glenn could face a defining afternoon when the winless Jets meet the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium in Week 5. The report suggests another defeat might end his time with the franchise, and notes that owner Woody Johnson has not seen a convincing head-coaching solution from the team in many years.
In Miami, Jeff Hafley's Dolphins are 0-4 with just 46 points scored and 101 allowed. They were more competitive against Minnesota in Week 4 but still lost, with the Vikings kneeling out the final seconds to keep the margin from reaching double digits. The report also casts doubt on quarterback Malik Willis, who has yet to exceed 220 passing yards in a game and has thrown one touchdown pass, suggesting his stint in Green Bay made him look better than he has shown with the Dolphins.
Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh is described as secure in his position, but a staff decision is drawing attention. If the Chargers fall to the Denver Broncos in Week 5, the report says there should be major questions about the decision to hire Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
Washington's Dan Quinn has a ready explanation for the loss to Indianapolis, which came with a third-string quarterback playing most of the game. But his defense, long considered his specialty, has surrendered 122 points in four weeks. The Commanders host the 3-1 Giants in Week 5; the report is unimpressed by New York's resume, noting its most notable win came against a Dallas team that is just 2-2, and adds that Quinn needs quarterback Jayden Daniels back quickly.
Tampa Bay's Todd Bowles is 0-4, without quarterback Baker Mayfield, and headed to Dallas on Thursday. The report notes the Buccaneers captured several NFC South titles on middling records under Bowles and enjoyed some playoff success, but says he is already speaking like a coach who knows his position is growing less secure.
Detroit's Dan Campbell completes the list. A defense the report says has been picked apart by every opponent was beaten again by Carolina on Sunday Night Football, leaving the Lions 2-2 after an 8-9 finish last season. Detroit's two wins required escaping the Saints and holding off the winless Jets, a slide the report describes as demoralizing for a fan base that had watched Campbell change the franchise's culture and direction.
Games to watch
