NFL sends message to teams about firing coaches, executives
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks with the media. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
NFL teams seem to grow less and less patient with new head coaching hires every year, and the league feels that mindset has become an issue.
The NFL sent a message to all 32 franchises at the owners’ meetings in Dallas this week informing them that teams have spent $800 million on coach and front-office firings over the past five years. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the memo was sent as a reminder that teams may want to give extra thought before making hasty decisions as the 2022 season nears its conclusion.
NFL officials even created spreadsheets specific to each team to show the costs individual teams have incurred with some of their coach and front-office changes over the past five seasons.
The New York Giants, for example, are currently paying head coach Brian Daboll and their two previous head coaches. They fired both Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge when they were two years into their respective five-year contracts.
Another team that owed a huge sum of money when firing their head coach was the Carolina Panthers. Though, Matt Rhule was quickly hired as the head coach at Nebraska, which offset some of the money on his Panthers contract. It is unclear if the NFL’s $800 million figure took that into account.
For what it’s worth, Rhule indicated that he believed the Panthers acted too hastily after telling him they were taking a long-term approach to rebuilding.
The Panthers and Indianapolis Colts, who fired Frank Reich, will conduct head coaching searches this offseason. There will likely be several more vacancies once the season ends.
