5 NFL HCs who disappointed the most in 2021 NFL season

With the NFL regular season wrapped, coaches of winning teams are being given praise for thier success, especially during one of the most unusual and groundbreaking seasons in league history. Praise has gone toward the overseers of the league's 14 playoff teams, whether it's through surprisingly keeping a sense of consistency alive (Mike Tomlin), unexpectedly winning division championships (Zac Taylor), or first-year men taking their team to the playoffs (Nick Sirianni).

But the end of the season has also brought to light some of the more disappointing coaching jobs over the last year...for which some coaches have already paid the ultimate price.

Which NFL coaches put out the most disappointing efforts in 2021?

Judge lasted only two seasons at the helm of the Giants (Photo: Getty)

-Joe Judge, NY Giants

The Bill Belichick tree has been officially removed from the ranks of the NFL for the time being, as Judge's Tuesday firing ensures that none of his former assistants hold the top spot on a staff. Judge remarkably leaves the woebegone Giants in a worse spot than when he found them, compiling a 10-23 record over two seasons. The final stages of his brief tenure were defined by bizarre statements (which claimed that former players were constantly in contact with him, praising their time in New York's dreadful new normal) and horrifying on-field efforts...or lack thereof. Following a rare win over their NFL playoff-bound rivals from Philadelphia, the Giants lost each of their final six games under Judge's supervision by an average of 17.8 points. New York now begins the search for its fifth full-time head coach since 2015.

Reich (R) couldn't get Carson Wentz back to his former MVP standards (Photo: Getty)

-Frank Reich, Indianapolis

Forced to pick up the pieces after the premature end of the Andrew Luck era, Reich has done a solid job with the Colts, one that netted him a contract extension through 2026 last summer. With Phillip Rivers always meant to be a de facto stopgap in the quarterback's spot, the Colts moved into the future with former Eagles savior Carson Wentz. Pairing Wentz with Reich made all the sense in the world. The pair thrust themselves into the NFL spotlight through strong shared endeavors in the City of Brotherly Love, ones that ended with the Eagles' first Super Bowl in 2017 (albeit with Wentz injured for the big game). But the pair failed to rebottle that green magic with the Colts, and Wentz now stands as one of the primary reasons as to why the Colts will be watching the NFL playoffs from home this weekend. This memorable miss, punctuated by a one-sided defeat to a two-win Jacksonville team that was never close, could put Reich in 2022's hot seat.

Rhule and the Panthers are left looking for answers after a dreadful end to the season (Photo: Getty)

-Matt Rhule, Carolina

Like many before him, Rhule had a lot to live up to. He knows what it's like to lift up a downtrodden gridiron program, having previously dragged Temple and Baylor from the collegiate underworld. His latest challenge, helping a sputtering Panthers team drag out of the mire of NFL mediocrity it's been trapped in since Super Bowl 50, comes with the pressure of succeeding beloved franchise face Ron Rivera. The Panthers expected more out of Rhule after keeping the Panthers competitive after a losing season, but major questions now lie ahead after the team looked completely lifeless after losing Christian McCaffrey to another injury. Additionally, Rhule failed to make any progress with Sam Darnold as the new franchise quarterback. The interesting part of Rhule's situation is that Carolina is linked to him for the long-haul, whether they like it or not. He signed a seven-year contract upon his NFL entry in 2020.

Staley, seen during an October win over Cleveland, has faced major heat for his decisionmaking (Photo: Getty)

-Brandon Staley, LA Chargers

Taking over for Anthony Lynn, Staley quickly learned that with great power comes great responsibility. Normally, that's seen as a lesson for young men on the opposite coast, but Staley was given the keys to a high-octane NFL vehicle, one headlined by the services of an exciting rising quarterback in Justin Herbert. But Staley's questionable in-game decision-making raised eyebrows all season, long before his curious timeout in Las Vegas indirectly cost the Chargers an NFL playoff spot. Los Angeles is, simply put, a team too talented to be sitting home, even if the division is set to be ruled by Kansas City for the foreseeable future. Right now, Staley's lasting legacy in his brief tenure is a 1-3 stretch that extended the Chargers' three-year playoff drought. The pressure will be on to exorcise those demons in his second season at the helm.

Mike Zimmer's Sunday postgame walk off US Bank Stadium's field proved to be his last (Photo: Getty)

-Mike Zimmer, Minnesota

Unlike several of the NFL's "Black Monday" casualties (i.e. Brian Flores and Vic Fangio, who did solid work, despite the hands they were dealt) parting ways with Zimmer was undoubtedly the right decision for the Vikings moving forward. Zimmer had been one of the league's longer-tenured coaches, but his seventh and eighth seasons at the helm produced consecutive losing campaigns, necessitating a change for a team that seems to be prepping to be best-positioned to take over the divisional throne once Aaron Rodgers retires/departs. The most damning case against Zimmer's Vikings career continuing was definitely in the defensive regression -- Minnesota let up just over 386 yards per game this season, better than only the woebegone Texans and Jets.