Ranking NFL head coach job security going into 2017

Todd Bowles' Jets overachieved at 10-6 in his first season before regressing to 5-11 last year. New York has seen huge turnover during the offseason, and enter the year with offensive talent that looks dire, led by veteran quarterback Josh McCown. If the results end up as poorly as predicted, Bowles could get a pink slip.

John Fox has guided successful teams in Carolina and Denver, but it hasn't happened yet in two years with Chicago. The Bears have been nowhere close, going 9-23 in his two seasons. He will put his trust in Mike Glennon while trying to develop No. 2 overall draft choice Mitchell Trubisky, in the process. Without improvement in Fox's third year, he seems as good as gone.

It was a trying year for Hue Jackson in 2016, his first with the organization, as the Browns finished 1-15. Not surprisingly, there has been rumored to be a discontent between the Moneyball-minded front office and Jackson, and that could cost Jackson his job with another poor season, whether it's deserved or not.

Just one year ago, Colts owner Jim Irsay seemed to have his finger on the trigger to fire Chuck Pagano. Instead, Pagano was given a contract extension. The Colts proceeded to go 8-8 and miss the playoffs for the second straight year, but GM Ryan Grigson took the fall. With new GM Chris Ballard now at the helm, Pagano likely needs to make the playoffs to keep his job or Ballard will find his own man for 2018.

The Bengals franchise has seen unprecedented success during Lewis' 14 seasons, making the playoffs seven times with a 118-113-3 record. However, Lewis still hasn't won even one playoff game in those seven appearances, and the team is coming off of a 6-9-1 season. Another year at home during the playoffs could spur owner Mike Brown to make a move.

Jay Gruden deserves credit for riding out ownership's Robert Griffin III obsession and turning Kirk Cousins into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, in the process. Washington surprised in 2015 by winning the NFC East, and they fell just short of a playoff spot last year at 8-7-1. Of course, owner Daniel Snyder has rarely been patient, and there was already front office turnover during the offseason. Both of those factors make Gruden's hold on the job shakier than it should be.

The Sean Payton rumors seem to be an annual occurrence, with the offensive mastermind failing to find answers for the Saints defense and going 7-9 in three consecutive seasons. He will always be synonymous with the team's Super Bowl victory in the 2009 season, but it remains to be seen what Payton will do if Drew Brees starts to decline.

The promotion of Mike Mularkey following a 2-7 record as the interim head coach in 2015 was uninspiring, but he's turned some heads after going 9-7 in his first full season. Tennessee has a very strong core of offensive talent and a clear vision in the front office, finally. Mularkey's job is safe if Tennessee can remain at all competitive.

Eagles ownership hired Doug Pederson, an Andy Reid disciple, to bring Philadelphia back to the Reid-era glory days. He went 7-9 with a rookie quarterback in his first season as head coach, though Eagles fans, per usual, were harsh regarding his game management. Ownership seems committed to allowing Pederson to develop Carson Wentz, but it remains to be seen what would happen if Wentz's stock plummets in 2017.

Doug Marrone overrated his own stock and quit Buffalo following the 2014 season, but he's earned another head coaching job in Jacksonville. He went 1-1 as the interim head coach last year, and the expectations have increased with an active offseason and the hiring of Tom Coughlin to lead the franchise. Marrone seems to have Coughlin's endorsement for now, but it remains to be seen what would happen if the Jags break out of the gate as slowly as usual.

Ben McAdoo was able to bring the Giants to the playoffs in his first season as head coach due in large part to a revamped defense. On the other hand, New York's offense declined sharply last season, and Odell Beckham Jr.'s antics along with kicker Josh Brown's off-field situation brought negative attention to the franchise. A highly regarded offensive mind, it remains to be seen what could happen if McAdoo's offense and team continue to be out of wack. 

A widely respected long-time NFL coach, Mike Zimmer is 26-22 with one playoff appearance in three seasons with the Vikings. He had a major eye issue that hindered him last year and into the offseason, and it remains to be seen if that problem could impact his 2017 season. Injuries to Zimmer's personnel have been a major issue for much of his tenure, as well, though Minnesota goes into the season with improved depth at key areas.

Tampa Bay surprised the football world by firing Lovie Smith following the 2015 season and promoting Dirk Koetter from offensive coordinator. The returns in Koetter's first year were strong at 9-7, with the help of Mike Smith as defensive coordinator. As long as quarterback Jameis Winston continues to improve, it's difficult to see Koetter leaving after 2017.

Jim Caldwell has admirably made the playoffs as a Wild Card in two of his three seasons in Detroit, though his team's showings in the tournament haven't gone smoothly. He does deserve credit for weathering the storm last year after Calvin Johnson's retirement. The last time Detroit made the playoffs twice in three years was 1997-99.

Just one year removed from a Super Bowl appearance, Ron Rivera's Panthers declined last season with several key injuries. His streak of three straight AFC South titles ended with a 6-10 record, so it would really take something drastic for Rivera to lose his job after this season given past success.

Fresh off leading the top offense in football in Atlanta, Kyle Shanahan has quite the work ahead of him with San Francisco. The 49ers have shed talent as quickly as any team in football over the last few years. He has a great working relationship with GM John Lynch, and ownership is likely to play this song out despite firing two coaches in two years.

Gary Kubiak's health forced the Broncos to hire their third head coach in four years. Vance Joseph was an acclaimed defensive coordinator in Miami, but there's no real way of knowing how he will fare in Denver. The loss of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will certainly hurt, and the Broncos haven't established their quarterback of the future between 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian. Either way, decision maker John Elway doesn't seem likely to panic if things don't go the team's way in 2017.

Anthony Lynn went from interim head coach of the Bills to head coach of the Chargers. The team consistently underachieved under fired head coach Mike McCoy and lost games in painstaking fashion. It remains to be seen what Lynn can do, but the Chargers are going all-in with Philip Rivers now in his mid-30s.

Sean McVay is the youngest coach in NFL history at age 31, and he's tasked with turning 2016 first overall draft choice Jared Goff into a viable quarterback. The Rams will surely be patient with McVay given his youth and lack of experience, though defensive coordinator Wade Phillips could help the transition.

Sean McDermott is a first-time head coach who takes over a Bills squad that floundered until Rex Ryan the last two years. Buffalo ownership hasn't exactly shown stability, but it's unlikely they would fire McDermott after one year given that he helped shape their new front office.

Bruce Arians didn't get a head coaching opportunity in the NFL until he was the Colts' interim head coach in 2012, and parlayed that success to a full-time role with Arizona. He's gone 41-22-1 in four seasons with the Cardinals, but went 7-8-1 last year while going through his own health issues. Arians turns 65 in October, and the only real risk is that he decides to retire for his own health.

Owner Jerry Jones' patience with Jason Garrett early in his coaching career has really paid off recently. Garrett made the playoffs in his fourth full season, and he went 13-3 last year with a rookie quarterback and running back. Still, Dallas went 4-12 in between Garrett's two successful seasons, and he's yet to have major playoff success. It's far from likely that Jones would consider a move after 2017, but probably not impossible if he had another option lined up.

Adam Gase was arguably the most sought after offensive mind in football before Miami hired him and the results have already showed in his first year. The Dolphins surprised to go 10-6 and make the playoffs, even after starting the season 1-4. He certainly looks secure for 2017.

The Ravens made the playoffs in six of John Harbaugh's first seven seasons, including a Super Bowl win following 2012. However, the team is now in a two-year dry spell, fighting through injuries to finish 5-11 in 2015 and then going 8-8 last year. It's not a must-win year for Harbaugh, but he also can't afford for his team to crater.

Bill O'Brien's Texans have gone 9-7 in three consecutive seasons despite terrible quarterback play, making the playoffs in the last two years. After trading up for Clemson standout Deshaun Watson, O'Brien's job likely hinges on the young quarterback's development. He's very safe for 2017, but the team's defense won't be elite forever.

Jack Del Rio has helped turn Oakland into winners in just two seasons, finishing last year 12-4 during the regular season en route to a Wild Card weekend appearances. The stakes are much higher for the Raiders now, especially as they near a move to Las Vegas. With a talented young core than includes Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Amari Cooper, the expectation is that the franchise will continue to make regular playoff appearances.

Mike McCarthy has been in Green Bay for 11 seasons, making the playoffs in nine of those years. Some fans have grown weary of McCarthy's offense more recently, and there were even whispers that he could be trouble when they team struggled early last season. That seems unlikely for a franchise that has shown such great consistency.

It only took two seasons for Dan Quinn to turn the Falcons into a winner and near Super Bowl champ. The former defensive coordinator of the Seahawks, Quinn is still working on the Falcons defense, but they've developed an elite offense in the meantime.

Pete Carroll's Seahawks have made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons, with one Super Bowl victory. There has been some locker room drama over the last year, particularly from star cornerback Richard Sherman, but the Seahawks continue to win. It does remain to be seen how much longer Carroll will coach, as he turns 66 in September.

While Andy Reid is still searching for his first Super Bowl win, he's unquestionably in the upper echelon of NFL head coaches. Big Red has made the playoffs in three of his four seasons with the Chiefs, with a 43-21 regular season record.

The Rooney family has led great success in Pittsburgh, and have done so by not being reactionary. Mike Tomlin is only the third head coach of the franchise since Chuck Noll was hired in 1969. Tomlin has led the Steelers to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and has one Super Bowl win since he was hired in 2007.

Arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick will leave New England on his own terms. His team has won the Super Bowl in two of the last three years, and he's won five Super Bowls total while with the Pats.