It’s only Week 6 of the NFL season, but ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has already placed a few coaches on the hot seat.
With Week 6 set to begin Thursday night with the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, ESPN has named 15 players and coaches who are feeling the pressure this weekend. Although it’s not really a huge surprise, Barnwell had Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn on his list.
Quinn, who is currently in his third year with the Commanders, is coming off an inexplicable tie against the New York Giants. His team had a golden opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal in overtime, but instead his offense accidentally ran out the clock.
“Quinn’s team is now 3-13-1 over its past 17 games, with one of those victories coming against the Eagles backups in Week 18,” Barnwell wrote. “Any attempt to draw a line under 2025 as an aberration hasn’t been successful, given that the defense has continued to struggle and Daniels has already suffered another elbow injury in 2026. I thought calls to fire Quinn for the endgame on Sunday were too harsh, but there’s no denying that this is the sort of disaster that lingers in fans’ minds.”
Barnwell also put Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles on the hot seat. His team is coming off an upset win over the Dallas Cowboys, but a 1-4 start to the season isn’t what the front office envisioned.
The third and final head coach mentioned on Barnwell’s list was none other than Nick Sirianni. It’s no secret his run with the Philadelphia Eagles has reached incredible heights, which includes a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
At the end of the day though, Sirianni needs to prove he can get Philly’s offense back on track. If not, he’ll be looking for a job next offseason.
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What about NFL coordinators?
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has to be feeling the pressure right about now. His unit ranks 29th in points per game (29.6) and last in EPA per play, according to Barnwell.
Luckily for Sheppard, help is on the way in the form of Brian Branch. His return should strengthen the secondary.
Last but not least, Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has been placed on the hot seat heading into Week 6.
The Chargers currently rank last in fourth-quarter points per game. Justin Herbert hasn’t looked good in McDaniel’s system, completing 59.4% of his passes for 937 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chargers could replace McDaniel mid-season with Adam Gase.
