At the onset of the season, Matt Rhule is on the hottest seat in the NFL. At least according to the gambling public. Rhule is on top of the board to be the first coach fired in the 2022 season. Indeed, Rhule has not moved the needle in two years as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. But other choices down the board could bring more potential value. And then there are other coaches among the favorites that stand a good chance to survive.
Odds Analysis
Matt Rhule of the Carolina Panthers opened as a +300 favorite to be the first NFL head coach fired in the 2022 season. Following Rhule are Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys) +500, Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks) +600, Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts) +700, Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders) +800, Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns) +1000, Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions) +1000, Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans) +1200, Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals) +1200, Robert Saleh (New York Jets) +1400, Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons) +1400, John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens) +1600, Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers) +1800, All Other Coaches +2500 or higher.
Matt’s Rhule Faces Do or Die Season
Matt Rhule arrived with plenty of enthusiasm from Carolina Panthers fans. Additionally, many gamblers saw Rhule as a perfect fit after his turnaround of the Baylor Bears. The Panthers’ problems have not entirely been Rhule’s fault. First, Carolina’s best player, Christian McCaffrey, has missed almost all of Rhule’s two seasons. Without McCaffery, the Panthers' offense has been rendered helpless. To illuminate, enemy defenses have been able to tee off on Carolina by not having to scheme McCaffrey.
At the beginning of the 2022 training camp is cautious optimism. Baker Mayfield arrived at Carolina in a trade from the Cleveland Browns. Mayfield is coming off a letdown campaign after leading Cleveland to a 2020 playoff bid. Now the question is, which Mayfield will Rhule get?
Jerry World More Stable Than at First Glance
Second on the board to be fired is head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys. McCarthy led Dallas to the NFC East title in 2021 after a 2020 debacle season. It is true that the NFC East is terrible and that Dallas should have won it. But in the NFC playoffs, the Cowboys imploded against the San Francisco 49ers. Numerous penalties, botched assignments, and clock mismanagement all took down Dallas.
Following the playoff flop, Jerry Jones let McCarthy and his staff twist in the wind for several days. But then Jones offered a stay of execution. So McCarthy is back but on notice. Gamblers should consider one fact that trumps all about Jones. Since taking ownership in 1989, he has only fired a coach once in-season. Jason Garrett replaced Wade Phillips in 2010.
No Christmas Carrolls for Seahawks
How mad will Seattle Seahawks ownership get at long-time head coach Pete Carroll? Carroll led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning one in his tenure. But his falling out with Russell Wilson forced Seattle to deal the Superman quarterback to the Denver Broncos. Thus, Seattle’s season is ruined before it begins. And Carroll will take the brunt of the blame for the debacle to come. But Carroll led the franchise to its greatest era of glory. How much equity does that give him?
The Coach that WON’T Be Fired
Since 1969 the Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. Still, some gamblers have plunked down cash on Tomlin getting fired. Tomlin is safe based on the unrivaled stability of the Steeler organization and Rooney Family ownership.
First Coach To Be Fired Free Pick
Despite the fact that Jerry Jones rarely changes horses in mid-stream, his bitterness about the 2021 playoff loss lingers. Mike McCarthy has ZERO margin for error. Especially with Jones’ favorite former assistant Sean Payton resting up.
BookMaker Pick: Mike McCarthy
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