NFL hot seat: 5 head coaches who’ll be under scrutiny in 2019
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
Out of all the teams in the NFL in 2018, few were as big a disappointment as the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jags went from being a quarter away from winning the 2018 AFC Championship game earlier in the year to a scuffling, ugly 5-11 finish. And while it’s easy to place the blame on underperforming quarterback Blake Bortles, a disappointing second year from running back Leonard Fournette and a vastly underachieving offense, perhaps the biggest sign of discouragement was just how badly that 2017 top-tier defense regressed last season.
More from SF 49ers News
- DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet
- Updated 49ers salary cap space ahead of 2023 NFL Draft
- Deebo Samuel fully admits his hatred of LA Rams
- Brock Purdy jokingly says he’s learning to throw left-handed
- 49ers news: Trey Lance is in the dark regarding trade talk
All this points to head coach Doug Marrone, who managed to survive coaching cuts after the regular season. But according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer (h/t 247 Sports’ Aaron Leming), Marrone was one of the coaches who still managed to find himself on the NFL hot seat when 2018 concluded.
Even if Marrone survived the cut, another lackluster team effort in 2019 could be enough to see some massive changes a little less than a year from now.
Marrone doesn’t have the benefit of being a coach in charge of a rebuild or merely being in a spot where falling short in the playoffs prompts change. No, instead the Jaguars regressed a lot in 2018 despite having one of the more talented defensive rosters in the league.
If that trend continues, especially with a high pick in a defensively stacked 2019 NFL Draft, look for Marrone to be on the outs this year.