Jim Tomsula took over the 49ers' head coach role after CEO Jed York fired Jim Harbaugh. However, his tenure didn't really bear the fruits of success one would have hoped for. Under him the team had the worst offense in their history. Scoring just 238 points, the team ended the season with a 5-11 record. Tomsula was fired just a few hours after the regular-season finale against the St. Louis Rams, which the 49ers won 19–16 in overtime. He received $14 million for his lone season at San Francisco.
Chip Kelly was the third 49ers HC in three years since Jim Harbaugh. Although Kelly's tenure started with a banging 28-0 shutout win over the LA Rams in Week 1 of the 2016 season, things went south pretty fast for the ex-Eagles HC as under his leadership the 49ers went into a 13-games losing streak. This sparked speculations of a rift between Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke. The team finally found their second win of the season against ram with a narrow 22-21 win in December, but again lost their season finale against the Seattle Seahawks, posting a miserable 2-14 record. Shortly after the end of the regular season, Kelly was fired from his role by the 49ers.
In 2018, Steve Wilks replaced Bruce Arians as the Arizona Cardinals' HC. Under him, the team kicked-off their season with a 24-6 loss against the Washington Redskins. Wilks found his first win with the Cards in Week 5 against the 49ers. He went on to finish the season with a league-worst 3–13 record, which was also the worst record for the franchise's history since 2000. Following this drastic run, Wilks was fired by the Cardinals in the same year.
The Cleveland Browns promoted Freddie Kitchens to the HC role in 2019. But his debut game ended up being a disappointing 43-13 loss against the Tennessee Titans, marking the 15th consecutive Week-1 loss in the franchise history. Under his leadership, the Browns finished the season with a heartbreaking 6–10 record. Shortly after the team's season finale 33–23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Kitchens was fired by the team.
Urban Meyer joined the Jaguars in early 2021, but faced heavy public scrutiny from the early days of his new role in Jacksonville after a woman accused him of inappropriate behavior. After a turbulent start to the season, the Jaguars recorded their first win in October against the Miami Dolphins by a score of 23–20. However, towards the end of the season, the team and the players were getting concerned about the HC's behavior towards them. And after ex-kicker Josh Lambo accused Meyer of physically abusing him, team owner Shahid Khan fired the HC. In his brief tenure, Meyer recorded a 2–11 (.154) record. His .154 winning percentage is the worst of any non-interim head coach since Cam Cameron's .063 winning percentage with the Miami Dolphins in 2007.
David Culley was hired to become the head coach of the Houston Texans, making him the fourth HC in franchise's history. He made his Texans debut with a 37-21 win over the Jaguars. The team went on to win three more games during the season, finishing with a 4–13 record and matching their previous season's win total. However, he was fired shortly after the regular season as GM Nick Caserio mentioned both parties had philosophical difference over the long-term direction and vision.
Nathaniel Hackett became the head coach of the Denver Broncos. replacing Vic Fangio. However, things ended up being badly for the HC after the team posted a 4-11 record following their Christmas Day 51–14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He was fired by the team shortly after that. Hackett became the fifth head coach since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 to not finish his first season after Lou Holtz in 1976, Pete McCulley in 1978, Bobby Petrino in 2007, and Urban Meyer in 2021.
Texans promoted Lovie Smith in 2022 after parting ways with David Culley. But Smith's stay at Houston was short-lived. Under him, the team recorded after the Texans went 3–13–1 in the 2022 season. The team won their final regular season game against the Indianapolis Colts, but this win costed them the cost them the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Smith was fired by the team right after the regular season.
In 2016, the Carolina Panthers hired Reich as their new head coach. However, during the season, under his leadership, a 1–10 start. Following this disappointing start, the Panthers decided to part ways with HC in the middle of the season in November.
The Patriots announced Mayo as the 15th head coach in franchise history and their first Black head coach in early 2024. His tenure started with 16–10 win over the Bengals in Week 1. The team under Mayo then went on to four games losing streak. The Pats this season had a 4-13 record, and after their season finale win over the Bills, the team's owner Robert Kraft announced that the team won't bring back Jerod Mayo in 2025.
