Football season is long, even if at times it may seem far too short as a fan. Early losses aren’t a death sentence, short-term injuries don’t have to derail a season, and the standings by the end of November hardly ever reflect what we saw in September.
But while seasons are long, careers are short, and adverse conditions early on add increased pressure to the equations and shrink the margins for error considerably. It’s this exact pressure, knowing one’s very future may hang in the balance, that causes some to find thrilling redemption and others to crumble at the challenge in front of them. The first two weeks of the 2026 season has put such pressure on several parties already. I’ll highlight five such parties here, whose concerning early returns have already caused the pressure to mount. We’ll learn in the next few weeks which ones will rise to the occasion and which will succumb.
Todd Bowles
I alluded to Bowles and his tenuous job security in my weekly “All-22″ article on Tuesday. It seemed down the stretch last year as if the team couldn’t be rallied to show up and play for him, but he was given one more chance coming into this season. An 0-2 start that includes a loss at home to the Browns was the last thing he needed, though, and he now leads the odds for first coach fired. Quite frankly, if the Buccaneers don’t start winning ASAP, it’s hard to envision him still being there come Halloween. The leash becomes even shorter if the Panthers and Saints hover around .500 at the top of the division, and it’s possible for the brass to talk themselves into a post-firing resurgence from the team that could vault them into the playoffs, as opposed to keeping him around through Week 18 and making a high draft pick. Most realistically, the convenient time to take action would be following a potential loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night of Week 5. That would provide an extra half-week for the interim coach (presumably OC Zac Robinson) to get acclimated before his first game in charge. But dropping to 0-3 this week could be enough to pull the plug, so the pressure’s higher on Bowles right now than anyone else in the league.
Shane Steichen
I think Steichen is a good coach, I think the Colts would agree, and I think most of the league views him as such. But still chasing his first postseason appearance as a head coach, he has to win now if he wants to be back next year. An 0-2 start isn’t the most conducive to that, unfortunately, so his seat is getting awfully hot by now. The organization has made it clear that they need to start winning or there will be changes, and those changes will be coming by season’s end at the latest if they fall out of the race. If they do fall out of the race, Steichen’s will hardly be the only head to roll, as general manager Chris Ballard would almost certainly be let go at the same time. If this all happens before the trade deadline in early November, additional departures could come in the form of veterans who might garner the draft picks that would facilitate a rebuild, especially since Sauce Gardner currently represent’s the franchise’s 2027 first-round pick. We’ll see how Steichen and the Colts respond to this growing pressure this week against a fellow 0-2 AFC South team, the similarly desperate Texans.
The Texans Offense
Despite a 36-point performance allowed to the Bills in Week 1, there’s little doubt this Texan defense will be one of the league’s best over the course of the year. But also despite Week 1 point totals, there are concerns that persist with this offense, most notably coordinator Nick Caley and quarterback CJ Stroud. Caley’s play-calling has left more than a bit to be desired since he took over before last season. His efforts haven’t been helped much by the unsteady play from Stroud, who’s been a shell of his rookie self since roughly midway through his second season in 2024. The Texans started 0-3 last year before finishing 12-5 and winning a playoff game, but lightning is unlikely to strike in Houston twice, hence why they need a win over the Colts almost as much as the Colts do over them. In particular, they need a win that inspires some degree of confidence in their offense. If that’s not seen soon, it creates more doubt about Stroud’s future with the team going into 2027 and beyond, and could spell the end for Caley before we’re even done with 2026.
Davis Webb
It’s obviously early, but the Broncos haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire offensively in the first two games of this season, which marks the time since Sean Payton ceded play-calling to his hotshot young coordinator. This is a team that was one poorly-timed injury from almost certainly going to the Super Bowl last year, and they won’t settle for not being a contender again. Given Payton’s obvious presence on the staff as a seasoned and elite offensive play-caller, it should be little trouble for him to take back the reins should Webb’s offense continue to sputter once the season is a few weeks in.
The Chargers
Many, including myself, viewed this year’s Chargers as the most serious Super Bowl contender of the Justin Herbert era. Now they’re 0-2, with both losses coming to teams who were expected to be pushovers, going into a brutally difficult stretch of their schedule (upcoming opponents: Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans, Ravens). They have the talent to turn things around, but it’s a tough sell. If they don’t, Herbert’s place as the franchise quarterback is still in no realistic danger. I doubt Jim Harbaugh’s job is any danger, either. However, one or both coordinators could become scapegoats despite their strong reputations. General manager Joe Hortiz also has an outside shot at being in danger after a relatively frugal offseason when many fans wanted to be a bit more aggressive.
Potentially as early as the next week or two, we’re going to find out which of the above are going to have their best brought out by intense pressure and which are going to have their worst brought out by it. A whole lot’s riding on those answers, for the five teams directly involved and for the league as a whole.
