Hot Seat Check-in: Who’s the Next to Go?

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NFL head coaches are expected to produce results, regardless of roster or circumstance. When those results don’t come, owners often don’t hesitate to make changes. Two NFL head coaches have already been fired this season. Robert Saleh was let go by the Jets after a disappointing 2-3 start. Just a couple of weeks later, New Orleans fired Denis Allen after losing seven consecutive games. It would come as no surprise if more coaches were cut loose in the remainder of this NFL season. So, which coaches are most likely to get the boot next?

5. Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders

Antonio Pierce took over as the Raiders’ interim head coach last season after Josh McDaniels was fired. Interim head coaches rarely retain the job, but Pierce turned the Raiders’ season around and was hired as Las Vegas’ head coach. Results have come back down to earth for Pierce and the Raiders this season. After terrible mismanagement of the quarterback position, I’d be surprised if Pierce kept his job through the offseason. 

4. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

It would be a shock if the reigning Coach of the Year was fired midseason, but a change seems imminent in Cleveland. After a 2-7 start to this season, the Browns are already virtually eliminated from playoff contention. With a roster as expensive as Cleveland’s, these results surely will not be tolerated. Much of the Browns’ trouble can be attributed to the poor play of Deshaun Watson. If the decision to continue starting Watson before his injury was Stefanski’s, he may be on his way out.

3. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears

The Bears surprised many fans and experts over the offseason by deciding to retain Matt Eberflus. Halfway through the season, it’s looking like a mistake. Eberflus, a defensive play-caller, would need to produce an elite defensive unit to warrant keeping his position as the head coach of a team with a rookie quarterback crucial to the organization’s future. Instead, Chicago’s defense has hovered around league average this season. Don’t be surprised if Bears’ ownership opts for an offensive-minded head coach to replace Eberflus.

2. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Doug Pederson’s collapse in Jacksonville dates back to the middle of last season. After an 8-3 start, Pederson and the Jaguars lost five of their final six games to miss the playoffs. The downward spiral has continued into 2024, as Jacksonville sits at 2-8, tied for the worst record in the league. Pederson has failed to bring production out of Trevor Lawrence. If Lawrence is to become the generational player he was expected to be, new leadership is a necessity.

1. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys

Mike McCarthy might as well pack his bags now. Under McCarthy’s leadership, Dallas has finished with 12 wins in three consecutive seasons. However, regular season success doesn’t cut it when you’re coaching America’s team. The Cowboys have produced just one playoff win during McCarthy’s tenure. McCarthy has failed to innovate in any way as an offensive play-caller, instead playing copycat to successful offenses around the league. It’s just a matter of time before McCarthy’s time in Dallas comes to an end.