3 NFL QB and head coach duos who have their jobs on the line ft. Tua Tagovailoa
The chemistry between quarterback and head coach is extremely important in the NFL. Often times their success is tied to one another. They both get credit when teams are playing well and both take blame when teams are struggling. Based on their team's situation, these three quarterback and head coach duos could be in danger of losing their jobs following the 2021 NFL season.
QB and head coach duos who could be fired after this season
#1 - QB Tua Tagovailoa and head coach Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have explored the possibility this season of trading for Deshaun Watson. They didn't get it done before the trade deadline but could still make a move in the offseason. That means Tua Tagovailoa has the back half of the season to prove his worth. He will need to show the Dolphins more if he wants to retain his job as the starting quarterback.
Tua Tagovailoa is in his second season with the Dolphins. Injuries have often been a concern and his production is mediocre. In 16 career games, he has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3012 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. A strong second half of the year could silence Dehaun Watson's trade rumors in Miami.
Tua Tagovailoa’s first two years in the league have been one of the strangest paths I’ve witnessed. I’ve never seen a young QB pulled off and thrown back on the bench so nonchalantly.
Head coach Brian Flores helped the Dolphins to an impressive season in 2020 after a rough run of three straight losing seasons before then. It looked like he had turned the franchise around, but the Dolphins have regressed this year. A difficult back half of the season could possibly cost Flores his job after just three seasons.
The Dolphins registered a 10-6 record in 2020 and just barely missed out on the playoffs. So far this season they are just 3-7 overall. They have won two in a row so maybe head coach Brian Flores has them trending back in the right direction. Most recently they scored a huge upset victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
#2 QB Kirk Cousins and head coach Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
A combination of quarterback Kirk Cousins and head coach Mike Zimmer could be coming to an end for the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins has just one more year left on his contract. The Vikings have already drafted a young quarterback prospect, Kellen Mond, in the third round last year.
Kirk Cousins is having a good statistical season, but it is not translating to team success. The Vikings are just 3-5 entering Week 10 and have yet to defeat a team with a winning record. His overall record with the Vikings is 28-28-1 with zero postseason victories. He is the second-highest-paid quarterback of the 2021 NFL season, so his expectations were much higher than his results.
Mike Zimmer has made the playoffs three times in seven years as the head coach of the Vikings. He went five straight years without having a losing season until last year, when the Vikings finished with a 7-9 record. They are in danger of finishing with a losing record and missing the playoffs again this season. Zimmer is in danger of losing his job as head coach if the Vikings don't turn things around.
#3 - QB Daniel Jones and head coach Joe Judge, New York Giants
This could be the last season for general manager Dave Gettleman after failing to turn the New York Giants back into a winning franchise. The Giants have the worst record in the NFL over the last five seasons combined. This includes a record of 11-25 for Daniel Jones and 9-16 for head coach Joe Judge.
For as bad as they are (they're brutal), Pace and Nagy have gone to the playoffs TWICE. Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge wouldn't make the playoffs if you gave them 500 seasons. Last year was their best chance and it was because the division was historically bad twitter.com/Jimbo5151/stat…
Often times a new general manager is allowed to pick his head coach and have a big say over the quarterback. If the Giants don't have a strong second half to the 2021 NFL season, they could clean house and start over again. The Giants have a more talented roster this season than they did last year, but it hasn't made a difference in results. They are just 3-6 this season.
Daniel Jones has been below average in his three seasons so far. In 36 games he has completed 62.8 percent of his passes with 43 touchdowns and an alarming 27 interceptions. He ranks just 24th in QBR this year. More was expected of him when the Giants drafted him high in the first round in 2019 and showed promise in his rookie year. He has regressed since then.