The NFL regular-season has come to a close, and with it there are likely to be some changes of guard among current head coaches.
Every year, "Black Monday," the first Monday after the conclusion of the regular season, sees a wave of head coaches and front office officials let go as teams that have had disappointing seasons begin to change leadership within the organization. Let's do
Last year, two coaches were fired a day after the season ended. The Chargers fired Anthony Lynn and the Jaguars fired Doug Maron. The two teams already have interim head coaches, with Darrell Bevel leading the Jaguars after Urban Mayor was fired, and Rich Biscia serving as the Raiders' coach after John Gruden resigned.
Several other teams are likely to turn to new coaches to lead their teams in the 2022 season. The Sporting News is tracking which teams are making coaching changes on "Black Monday."
NFL coaches fired
- Brian Flores, Dolphins
- Matt Nagy, Bears
- Mike Zimmer, Vikings
- Vic Fangio, Broncos
- Urban Meyer, Jaguars
- Jon Gruden, Raiders (resigned)
Brian Flores became the sixth head coach to join or resign during the 2021 NFL season, along with Matt Nagy, Mike Zimmer, Vic Fangio, Urban Mayer and John Gruden. The Dolphins, Bears, Vikings, Broncos, Jaguars and Raiders now have head-coaching vacancies to fill in 2022 and more likely to come. The 2021 hiring cycle saw the creation of seven new head coaches, including the mayor.
NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat
Will the Bears set Matt Nagy on fire?
It has long been discussed that this will be the final season in Chicago for Matt Nagy. The 2018 NFL Coach of the Year led the Bears to their first losing season under his leadership, but it will be the second time in their four years that Chicago has missed the playoffs.
Much of the concern with Negi has been his inability to develop to a first-round quarterback. Mitch Trubisky was moved to second place overall in 2017, but never developed into the star the Bears were hoping for. After a season of struggling 2021 11th overall pick Justin Fields, the Bears are looking for someone who can make sure the former Ohio State signal-collar is the face of the franchise that continues to grow.
As per reports, Negi came into Sunday's game against the Vikings knowing that it would be his last match with the Bears. And on Saturday, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that Sunday would be his final coaching game in Chicago. The Bears suffered a 31–17 loss to Minnesota to end the season 31–17.
Boomer has been told that Matt Nagy has been told that he will not return as Head Coach of the Chicago Bears
— Morning Show with Boomer & Gio (@WFANmornings) January 5, 2022
Bears fired Matt Nagy this morning, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2022
Will the Seahawks fire Pete Carroll?
Pete Carroll has led the Seahawks to a level of success unprecedented in franchise history. They reached the playoffs in five straight seasons, including back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014, the former of which led Seattle to a title for the first time. The Seahawks finished in the basement in 2021 for the first time since Carroll took over, and he admitted it has been a disappointing season. It also looks like this may be his last in Seattle.
Carroll's vocal frustration at the team called on fans to move on from the most winning coach in the team's history. However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler told 710 AM Seattle that Carroll still has a considerable influence on the team, and it is more likely that he will retire or resign than be fired by the organization. That hasn't stopped speculation from others, such as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, speaking with 670 The Score, that Carroll could move on, and that he could be a substitute for a team like the Bears.
Carroll and the Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 38–30 to finish the season 7–10, and after the game, Carroll was convinced to advance his position.
Pete Carroll says he doesn't have any doubts about his future here. "I'm in great shape."
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) January 10, 2022
Will the Vikings fire Mike Zimmer?
Another change could come to NFC North after Sunday's game between the Vikings and the Bears. Minnesota has recorded its second consecutive losing season, the first two sub-500 years since Mike Zimmer took over as head coach. It has also been the second season where the Vikings' defense was one of the worst in the league.
Ownership of the Vikings reportedly met last week to discuss personnel changes involving both the head coach and general manager positions, with The Athletic reporting that a move on the future of both Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman could be made on Monday. La Canfora reported for CBS Sports on Saturday that the team is expected to move on from Zimmer at the end of the season.
Zimmer ended the season with a 31–17 win over the Bears to end the season 8–9. According to ESPN, after the team's victory, Zimmer said that the decision on his future is not up to him, and he does not want to talk about it.
The Minnesota Vikings have fired both head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman, per two league sources.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) January 10, 2022
Will the Giants fire Joe Judge?
Back in December, a report emerged from SNY that Giants co-owner John Mara believed Joe Judge was the right head coach to live in New York. Instead, the biggest replacement for New York this season appears to be in the front office, with the potential retirement or dismissal of general manager Dave Gettleman. There have been reports for some time that Gettleman will not be returning, but despite losing for a second consecutive season under Judge, he may look safe.
After his team's crushing defeat at the hands of the Bears in Week 17, Judge went on to make a strange boast, where he defended his team, saying that many former New York players wish they were still playing for the Giants. It is possible that performance since that report (0–3 record, 84–19 outscored) combined with his arrows prompted Mara to fire both Gettleman and Judge and then the reset button. hit him again. But since the resignation of Tom Coughlin, none of the Giants has coached more than two seasons. New York might want to end that streak and give the judge one last chance to turn the tide.
Judge ended the season with a 22–7 loss to Washington and fell to 4–13 on aggregate, including an awkward decision to call for quarterback sneak while facing third and 9.
Will the Broncos fire Vic Fangio?
When George Patton took over as general manager of the Broncos in 2021, it was reported that Vic Fangio was to go into the playoffs in 2021 or he would drop out after the campaign. The Broncos missed out after the season, but even after being out on the hunt, Fangio remains on top.
That certainly doesn't mean that Fangio is going to happen around 2022. Florio reported in December that Fangio was already a candidate to be fired. With new ownership coming to the team in 2022 and already working under a general manager who hadn't hired him, Fangio could be out with new faces at the top looking for a change. La Canfora reported that Fangio is not expected to return after his team's final game against the Chiefs on Saturday.
Update: The Broncos fired Vic Fangio on Sunday morning after a 28-24 loss to the Chiefs in Week 18. He went 19-30 in three seasons as head coach.
Broncos’ President/CEO Joe Ellis on the team moving on from Vic Fangio: pic.twitter.com/crxX8Y97jm
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2022