Every NFL coach will enter the 2020 regular-season feeling pressure to win, but these 10 guys are really going to be on the hot seat.
There isn’t a single NFL team that doesn’t want to make the playoffs in 2020. Even teams that are likely starting a rebuild in the face want to surprise their fans and make a run to the postseason. With that being said, some NFL coaches enter the upcoming season under more pressure than their peers.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re on the verge of being fired. Some successful coaches are under pressure to sustain their legacies as future Hall-of-Famers. They won’t feel the same level of pressure as their peers who need to save their jobs, but it could still cause serious stress for those involved. Without delay, let’s start with a veteran head coach who needs his team to bounce back in 2020.
10
Mike Tomlin
Pittsburgh Steelers
The return of Ben Roethlisberger should be enough to catapult the Steelers back into playoff contention this season. If for some reason it doesn’t, then Tomlin is going to start to feel some heat in the Steel City.
In some ways, that will be unfair to the veteran head coach. He deserves credit for leading Pittsburgh to an 8-8 record despite the putrid quarterback play they suffered from in 2019.
On the other hand, it’s also a head coach’s job to prepare the backup to play. A significant portion of the offense’s struggles without Roethlisberger has to be placed on Tomlin’s broad shoulders. Mason Rudolph, in particular, came into the NFL via a reasonably high draft choice.
Tomlin isn’t going to lose enough games to lose his job in 2020, but one more mediocre season could put him on the hot seat heading into 2021. The Steelers are quietly one of the most interesting teams to watch heading into the regular season.