The NFL has had a habit in recent years of only giving coaches one year to show a sign of life. The one and done season for a head coach has become all too common across the league. This unfair tradition could in fact continue this year, with two AFC coaches sitting firmly on underperforming teams. We could very well see owners continue the frustration by firing these two coaches and going on the hunt for yet another bench boss.
Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders and Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans. Both came into this season with high hopes, nothing like winning a Super Bowl. But hopes of showing improvement, giving their teams the identity they so sorely needed to succeed. But 10 weeks into the regular season, both of these coaches sit at the bottom of the league and showing no signs of improvement.
Antonio Pierce Could Be on His Way Out
Raiders’ HC Antonio Pierce took over as the interim coach last season after the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels. Under Pierce the Raiders showed signs of drastic improvement, even pulling an upset over the Kansas City Chiefs. Towards the end of the season, the Raiders locker room continued to lobby for the organization to retain Pierce as the head coach. This movement was primarily led by stars Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams.
This is why it came as such a concerning surprise, when Adams asked to be traded away from the Raiders this season. The quarterback situation could have something to do with it as well. The Raiders have flip flopped between journeyman Gardner Minshew and second year QB Aidan O’Connell, even throwing former Falcons QB Desmond Ridder in there at one point out of desperation.
The drama that ensued around Antonio Pierce and Davante Adams would lead people to think that maybe he has lost the locker room. During the Adams trade rumors saga, Pierce was caught liking an Instagram post about Adams being traded, further sparking controversy. Adams was eventually traded away to the New York Jets, and the Raiders haven’t won a game since. In fact, the Raiders are currently on a five-game losing streak that doesn’t appear likely to end anytime soon.
Brian Callahan Could Be Other AFC Coach Out the Door
Brian Callahan is in his first season as an NFL head coach. The former Cincinatti Bengals offensive coordinator enjoyed success with Joe Burrow directing his offense. Ever since coming to Tennessee, it’s been a bit more complicated to get the offensive fireworks. Second year quarterback Will Levis has regressed more than he’s improved. Before his shoulder injury three weeks ago, Levis led the NFL in giveaways.
Callahan being an offensive coach, was expected to come to the Titans and steer Levis in the right direction, being their franchise quarterback. This season has done anything but that, Levis has gone from being the potential franchise cornerstone to people questioning where he will be a back-up next season.
Brian Callahan is one of the coaches that people questioned when he was first hired in Tennessee. It didn’t help, a lot of fans didn’t want to see then HC Mike Vrabel be fired. Callahan has yet to prove he can lead a successful team, and questions have started to swirl if his success in Cincinatti was because of Joe Burrow and company. The Titans franchise is desperate for winning football to return to their city, so desperate they may make the move to fire Callahan if things don’t drastically improve. Especially, with names like Bill Belichick out there on the open coaching market this coming off-season.
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