NFL Hot Seats: Carolina's Matt Rhule favored to be next coach fired

Field Level Media
24 Jun 2022, 05:19 GMT+10

NFL training camps are still a month away from opening but at least one sportsbook is already providing odds on the first coach likely to be fired this season.

That distinction belongs to Carolina's Matt Rhule, who is being offered at 300 by SportsBetting.ag to be the next head coach to be firedor resign. The sportsbook is offering odds on all 32 NFL coaches, all the way down to reigning Super Bowl champion coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams at 10000.

Matt Rhule On Thinnest Ice?

Because of Rhule's success in college football, the Carolina Panthers hired him to reinvent the team. He had already transformed Temple and Baylor into winning programs, so the expectation was that he could do the same with the Panthers.

However, Rhule's first two seasons with the Panthers have not been as successful with an overall record of 10-23, including only five wins in each season.

Super Bowl or Bust in Dallas?

The next shortest odds belong to the Dallas Cowboys' Mike McCarthy at 500.

The expectation when the Cowboys hired McCarthy was that he would be able to light a fire under a team considered to be under performing under previous coach Jason Garrett. McCarthy was viewed as the missing piece that would turn the team into a Super Bowl champion.

In his first year in 2020, McCarthy got a bit of a pass because quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury. However, last season ended in major disappointment.

The Cowboys had a great regular season, finishing with a 12-5 record. However, they were eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the playoffs. Team owner Jerry Jones was not afraid to admit that he was frustrated by the Cowboys' early exit, but decided to keep McCarthy around.

Jones is likely to give McCarthy another season. If the Cowboys do not reach the postseason, though, he could be fired.

Pete Carroll's Last Stand in Seattle?

The Seattle Seahawks decided to part with quarterback Russell Wilson rather than coach Carroll after failing to make the playoffs last season. Carroll has led the Seahawks for 12 seasons, including a victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.

That was a long time ago, and Seattle is coming off a 7-10 campaign. Although team president and general manager John Schneider promised Carroll would stay in place until his contract expires in 2025, an early exit is still possible. SportsBetting.ag is offering him at 600 as the next NFL head coach to vacate his position, involuntarily or voluntarily.

Under Pressure in D.C. Indy

Ron Rivera led the Washington Commanders, formerly the Washington Football Team, to the playoffs during his first season as head coach in 2020. This was despite a record of 7-9 in the regular season. Although the team was expected to improve further in 2021, Washington stumbled to a 7-10 season.

Rivera admits that he's "tired" of being an easy target. On the field and off, the Commanders are dealing with significant controversy. Legal disputes, allegations of sexual misconduct across the ranks and an unsynchronized line have weighed heavily on the franchise.

Rivera is being offered at 800 by SportsBetting.ag to be the next NFL coach fired - slightly longer odds than the Indianapolis Colts' Frank Reich at 700.

Colts owner Jim Irsay has said that Reich's job is safe for now, but that could change if the latest acquisition of a veteran quarterback in longtime Atlanta Falcon Matt Ryan doesn't help Indianapolis advance past the first round of the playoffs.

Next NFL Coach Fired/Resign (SportsBetting.ag)

Matt Rhule (3-1)

Mike McCarthy (5-1)

Pete Carroll (6-1)

Frank Reich (7-1)

Ron Rivera (8-1)

Dan Campbell (10-1)

Kevin Stefanski (10-1)

Kliff Kingsbury (12-1)

Mike Vrabel (12-1)

Arthur Smith (14-1)

Robert Saleh (14-1)