5 NFL HCs on the hot seat as the 2022 regular season nears its end featuring Kliff Kingsbury, Lovie Smith, and more

The 2022 NFL regular season is nearing its end, and the playoff picture will be set by this time on Monday. As such, we will likely see several head coaches fired from their roles and some franchises heading in a new direction. That is the nature of the NFL, a multibillion-dollar industry that places less of a premium on loyalty and sustainability.

Some head coaches have underperformed this season. Some have fallen below expectations due to their faults, while others have due to circumstances beyond their control. However, it's hardly ever personal but strictly business in the NFL. So here, we will look at five NFL head coaches in the hot seat as the 2022 regular season ends. There are some obvious names here and some names that might surprise you.

The 5 NFL HCs on the Hot Seat

So in no particular order, here are five NFL head coaches that might be looking for a new head coaching job before the 2023 Draft comes around.

1. Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals

The Kliff Kingsbury experiment needs to be fixed, with the Arizona Cardinals performing well below expectations in the 2022 NFL regular season. Kingsbury and the Cardinals started off this season with playoff aspirations, and they signed their Pro Bowl QB to a massive $230 million extension.

However, the Cardinals find themselves in the bottom half of the league for various reasons, ranging from injuries to questionable play calling. As a result, it is less likely that Kliff Kingsbury will be manning the touchline for the Cardinals in the 2023 NFL season.

2022 Regular Season Record as of Week 18: 4-12-0

2. Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders blew this one, and their head coach Ron Rivera has to bear the brunt of their capitulation. Heading into the season, Commanders fans could have been content with being competitive and building on a developing franchise, but expectations changed. The Commanders were in a commanding position at the halfway stage of the regular season to make the postseason in what has been a passable NFC Conference. However, thanks to a slew of close losses, and questionable gamesmanship from Rivera, they are doomed to spend the postseason wondering what might have been.

The Commanders' front office might want to move for a younger head coach who knows a thing or two about the playoff schedule. It's the least Washington fans deserve, and the front office might think similarly.

2022 Regular Season Record as of Week 18: 7-8-1

3. Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders

There always seems to be trouble brewing with the Raiders. Maybe it's the bright lights of Vegas? The Las Vegas Raiders had a season from hell last season, with the franchise having more off-field issues than you could count on two hands. They weren't good on the field but were in the playoff picture. The Raiders' front office was impressed, so they hired Josh McDaniels, broght in Devante Adams via trade, and signed a few complementary pieces. The Raiders' front office made the most of the right moves (except the Josh Jacobs contract situation, that is), and they seemingly gave McDaniels all he needed to succeed.

So what did Josh McDaniels do? He took all these tools, weapons, and support, and he did not succeed. The Raiders have been eliminated from playoff contention and find themselves in another mess with the Derek Carr situation. The blame can be distributed between Carr, the front office, and McDaniels. But with Carr seemingly out of the picture, it looks like McDaniels is next up on the chopping board.

2022 Regular Season Record as of Week 18: 6-10

4. Lovie Smith, Houston Texans

You got to feel for Lovie Smith. The Houston Texans' head coach is in the most unenviable position in today's NFL. The Texans' former defensive guru was promoted to the head coaching job at the end of last season, and he was tasked with leading the post-Deshaun Watson era. Easier said than done, as without Watson, the Texans are merely dumpster fire ready to be razed. The not-so-proud owners of the worst record in the NFL have been playing like the worst franchise in America all season long, and they have virtually sealed the number-one pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. That pick will give them a chance to draft a franchise-altering QB and finally kickstart their rebuild.

However, it is unlikely that the Texans' front office will want to entrust Lovie Smith with that rebuild. Smith has yet to showcase any offensive coaching acumen all season long, and he will be expected to coach a generational talent at QB for the next decade or so. We think not. Therefore, the Texans are more likely to hire a tried, tested, and trusted HC come the 2023 NFL season.

2022 Regular Season Record as of Week 18: 2-13-1

5. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

While unlikely, the Los Angeles Rams front office cannot be pleased with the performance of their beloved franchise all season long, so they might let go of their beloved golden coach, Sean McVay, who has never hidden his desire to retire early and not get to Bill Belichick's age before calling it a day.

However, with the Rams' having one of the worst title defenses in NFL history, the decision to leave on his own terms may be off the table. Moreover, if McVay survives the chopping board this season, he'll be on the hot seat throughout the 2023 NFL season. So much for building a dynasty.

2022 Regular Season Record as of Week 18: 5-11-0