At the onset of the NFL betting odds season, Matt Rhule is on the hottest seat in the NFL. At least according to NFL gamblers. To show, Rhule is favored to be the first coach fired in the 2022 season. In his first two seasons, Rhule has failed to move the needle as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. But other choices down the board could bring more potential value. And are in hot water themselves. And then other coaches among the favorites stand a good chance to survive.
First NFL Coach Fired in 2022
| Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
| Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers) | +300 |
| Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys) | +500 |
| Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks) | +600 |
| Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts) | +700 |
| Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders) | +800 |
| Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns) | +1000 |
| Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions) | +1000 |
| Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans) | +1200 |
| Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals) | +1200 |
| Robert Saleh (New York Jets) | +1400 |
| Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons) | +1400 |
| John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens) | +1600 |
| Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers) | +1800 |
| All Other Coaches | +2500 or higher |
For Pete’s Sake
How angry will Seattle Seahawks ownership get at long-time head coach Pete Carroll? Carroll led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning one in his tenure. But his falling out with Russell Wilson forced Seattle to deal the Superman quarterback to the Denver Broncos. Thus, Seattle’s season is ruined before it begins. And Carroll will take the blame for the debacle to come. But Carroll led the franchise to its greatest era of glory. How much equity does that give him? In today’s instant gratification era, the past hardly matters.
McCarthy Survives the Owner – For Now
Second on the board to be fired was head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys. McCarthy led Dallas to the NFC East title in 2021 after a 2020 flop. It is true that the NFC East is terrible and that Dallas should have won it. But in the NFC playoffs, the Cowboys imploded against the San Francisco 49ers. Numerous penalties, botched assignments, and clock mismanagement all took down Dallas.
Following the playoff debacle, Jerry Jones let McCarthy and his staff twist in the wind for several days. But then Jones offered a stay of execution. So McCarthy is back but on notice. Gamblers should consider one fact that trumps all about Jones. Since taking ownership in 1989, he has only fired a coach once in-season.
Matt’s Rhule is to Win or Else
Matt Rhule arrived with plenty of sportsbook enthusiasm from Carolina Panther fans. Additionally, many gamblers saw Rhule as a perfect fit after his turnaround of the Baylor Bears.
The Panthers’ problems have not entirely been Rhule’s fault. First, Carolina’s best player, Christian McCaffrey, has missed almost all of Rhule’s two seasons. Without McCaffery, the Panthers’ offense has been rendered helpless. Enemy defenses have been able to tee off on Carolina by not having to scheme McCaffrey.
At the beginning of the 2022 training camp is cautious optimism. Baker Mayfield arrived at Carolina in a trade from the Cleveland Browns. Mayfield is coming off a letdown campaign after leading Cleveland to a 2020 playoff bid. Now the Pro football betting odds question is, which Mayfield will Rhule get? His job depends on it.
SBG Best Bet: Pete Carroll.