Overview
- Last season’s turnover tied a modern record when 10 head coaches left, creating a larger pool of first‑year hires and raising expectations for immediate results.
- Aaron Glenn enters 2026 under heavy pressure after the Jets went 3‑14 in 2025, finishing last in points, yards and turnover differentials and recording only four takeaways all year.
- Zac Taylor is also on a hot seat after the Bengals missed the playoffs for a third straight year and posted a 6‑11 season marked by Joe Burrow missing nine games and one of the league’s worst defenses.
- Analysts from PFF and Bleacher Report identify a deep class of coordinator candidates — including Chris Shula, Nate Scheelhaase, Matt Burke and Grant Udinski — who have risen because of clear unit improvements measured by metrics such as EPA per play and PFF grades.
- Owners’ public demands, offseason roster changes and data‑driven evaluations mean 2026 performance will likely decide multiple jobs and could fuel another active head‑coach market in 2027, with big career consequences for both incumbents and assistants.