The NFL is a cold business. Once you start to slip, your job is on the line.
Of course, that doesn’t entirely apply to head coaches. You can be an abject disaster and get fired, of course, but you can also work your way back into a top job regardless of credentials simply by sticking around or appearing interesting. Lovie Smith and Kyle Kingsbury were both fired after losing records as college head coaches and parlayed those struggled into top NFL roles within two seasons. Sure, neither one worked out, but there’s a lot more leeway once you’ve established your name as a play caller than there is as a player.
That leaves plenty of room for failure. Some coaches truly commit to exploring that space. This is a column about them.
By some combination of circumstance and poor decision making, these are the coaches who’ve racked up the most fireable offenses through three weeks. Some have the job security to shake off a rough start. Others may not. So let’s see who has disappointed the most through three games.