Job Security For Frank Reich, Ron Rivera, Brandon Staley And, Shockingly, Even Mike Vrabel In Peril
Only a month ago when Mike Vrabel spent an afternoon watching a New England Patriots game from Robert Kraft's suite at Gillette Stadium, rumors surfaced the new Patriots Hall of Fame inductee might be traded to the Patriots.
The idea was the Patriots would be moving on from Bill Belichick at season's end -- in whatever fashion that might play out -- and Vrabel would be Kraft's choice to become the next coach.
Because Vrabel embodies everything the New England owner would want.
Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans looks on during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints earlier this season. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Coaches On Hot Seat Include Vrabel, Reich, Staley
But here we are a few weeks later and Vrabel, the guy one team was rumored to covet, now looks like and is being treated like a coach whose status with the Tennessee Titans is in peril.
That's how it is with NFL coaches who are losing this time of year.
Their tenuous job security goes from being a whisper to full-throated conversation. That's how it is now for Carolina's Frank Reich, Brandon Staley in Los Angeles, Ron Rivera in Washington, Belichick, and even Vrabel.
It matters little what they've accomplished before. Neither winning six Super Bowls, as Belichick has in New England, nor being a perennial playoff contender as Vrabel's Titans have been, insulates a coach from the uncertainty.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel watches his team during an OTA practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville.
Vrabel Talks About Job Uncertainty
"I don't try to concern myself with that," Vrabel said Sunday when he was asked about his job security following Tennessee's fifth loss in six games. "...My focus is on coaching this team, on trying to get these guys to understand that there's a fine line in this league of winning and losing. Finding a way to get a win. That's what I'm focused on. I'll let you guys fire me each week or not fire me."
Yes, Vrabel let the topic get under his skin for one moment. It's understandable because he's human, under a lot of pressure, and obviously defending his turf.
But the snark shows Vrabel is aware his job status will be a topic with Titans ownership at some point.
(By the way, Vrabel is among the NFL's best coaches, probably in the top 10. So he doesn't have to worry about job security long term. Somebody would hire him in about three minutes if he's fired.)
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley looks on with quarterback Justin Herbert before 2022 game against Jacksonville. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Staley Loses, Then Loses His Cool
That's life on the hot seat. And, according to people within the league whose business it is to gauge such things, the hottest of the seats belong to Reich and Staley.
Both are apparently in trouble of being fired at some point -- either before the season ends or afterward.
Surprised?
Staley possibly being dismissed shouldn't surprise. His Chargers notoriously underperform considering the talent on the roster.
Over the last couple of years, the Chargers have added players such as Khalil Mack, Corey Linsley, Eric Kendricks to a roster that already boasted Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Derwin James, Asante Samuel Jr., Joey Bosa and Rashawn Slater.
But Staley has coaxed only a 4-6 record out of all that talent. What's worse is the coach who's been known to make unorthodox, sometimes unwise fourth-down decisions on offense and has been unable to raise the level of play on defense.
That's problematic because Staley is a former Rams defensive coordinator and calls the Chargers defense. So it's his direct responsibility the defense is failing and he's a bit touchy about it.
"I have full confidence in myself as the play-caller and the way we teach and the way that we scheme," Staley said Sunday after the defense gave up a 75-yard winning drive to the Packers in the final four minutes of the game. "Full confidence in that. We've got to bring this group together and do it consistently. And that's where it's at.
"So you can stop asking that question. I'm going to be calling the defenses, OK? So we're clear. You don't have to ask that again."
Frank Reich of the Carolina Panthers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Frank Reich Has NFL's Worst Record
Reporters pressed Staley, asking how the fan base could have full confidence when the Chargers are a bottom 10 defense, allowing 23.8 points per game.
"I'm not here to talk to the fan base," Staley responded. "I'm here to talk to our players, the locker room. I know we give ourselves a chance to win every single week with the game plans that we have."
Yes, alienate the Chargers small fan base. Not smart.
Staley said Monday the team still believes a playoff berth is attainable and "wide open." But this seems doubtful with an approach that hasn't yielded appreciable results so far.
Reich's club has the NFL's worst record at 1-9. And one might think, despite the record, the coach is protected from being fired because it is his first season, he's got a rookie quarterback, and this was always understood to be a rebuilding project.
The problem is league sources insist owner David Tepper is not pleased with what he's seeing, particularly as the Panthers compare to the Houston Texans.
Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich watches quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the Carolina Panthers minicamp. Mandatory (Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Reich Under Pressure To Improve
The Texans, you'll recall, were worse than the Panthers last season, picked quarterback C.J. Stroud after the Panthers selected Bryce Young. And Houston is in the playoff hunt at 6-4 while the Panthers have seemingly regressed from last year's 7-11 team.
There are similarly problems in Washington with Rivera losing favor with the new owner Josh Harris. Harris has not uttered a word on the subject but it's known in league circles he's not liking the club's current course.
None of these coaches are going to rid themselves of the job uncertainty they're facing unless they start winning. It's actually bound to get rougher.
That's the reason one day after he was asked if he was worried about his job, Vrabel was asked Monday about his control over the Titans locker room.
"Are you questioning my, my control of the locker room?" Vrabel asked incredulously. "You're questioning it."
Things feel much differently than they did a month ago in Kraft's suite.