Which NFL Coaches are on the hot seat in 2024?

By Levi Coovert November 03, 2024 00:53

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

It's the midway point of the season. Let's check in on the coaches who might be coaching for their job in 2024.

Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints

Allen has yet to lead the Saints to a winning record, and after a hot 2-0 start, the Saints are struggling once again. To be fair, they haven't had Derek Carr in their past three games, but at 2-6, the Saints seem destined for another losing season and a potential top-10 pick.

Allen's seat has to be hot in his third season with New Orleans. If the Saints don't show signs of life at the end of the season, he will be gone.

Prediction: FIRED at the end of the season, Saints finish 7-10

Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

Sirianni oversaw the collapse of the Eagles in 2023 after their Super Bowl loss in 2022. Despite never having a losing record and helping turn Jalen Hurts into a star, there were questions over his leadership and control of the locker room. And Philadelphia has always been a place that demands a lot of their coaches. Andy Reid, Chip Kelly, and Doug Pederson all got fired after successful tenures.

Sirianni and the Eagles started slow, at 2-2, but have looked good in the past two weeks. At 5-2, they look like they will be a playoff team, but will that be enough?

Prediction: RETAINED at the end of the season, Eagles finish 10-7 and make playoffs

Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys

In his fifth year in Dallas, McCarthy is falling apart. The Cowboys won 12 games in each of the past three years (the only team to do so), but are now in danger of their first losing record since 2020.

Unless the Cowboys turn it around, an impatient Jerry Jones might pull the trigger on McCarthy. His struggles to win at home are particularly damning.

Prediction: FIRED at the end of the season, Cowboys finish 7-10

Brian Daboll, New York Giants

Daboll was coach of the year and led the Giants to a playoff win in his first season, but since then, the G-men have been awful. They won only six games last year and are on pace to win four in 2024.

However, Daboll deserves some grace. Daniel Jones is clearly an issue, and the Giants have been competitive in almost all of their losses, with one-score losses to the Cowboys, Commanders, Bengals and Steelers.

Prediction: RETAINED at the end of the season, as the Giants show him grace despite a 5-12 finish. They will give him an opportunity to draft and develop a QB of his choice

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

Ever since he joined the Bengals in 2019, the jury has been out on whether or not Zac Taylor is a good coach or not. The Bengals were awful in 2019 and 2020, but a miracle playoff run earned Taylor praise when the Bengals beat the Chiefs in the 2021 AFC Championship and made a Super Bowl.

Since then the Bengals have gone backwards. Last year, they finished with a losing record (his third) and at 3-5, they are in danger of another losing record. It's safe to wonder whether Taylor should be credited, or if he is holding Joe Burrow and the Bengals back. However, the Bengals ownership doesn't like to make changes; they kept Marvin Lewis for 16 years. And the Bengals have been playing better after their 0-3 start.

Prediction: RETAINED at the end of the season, Bengals finish 9-8 and miss the playoffs, but a late season push helps Taylor stay in good grace with ownership

Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills

You might be wondering how a coach who has won four-straight division titles, and is en route to winning a fifth with relative ease, could be on the hot seat. Tow words; playoff embarrassment. The Bills Mafia, and the Bills ownership, is sick of it.

McDermott is clearly a good coach, but if the Bills fall in the playoffs yet again to the Chiefs, Ravens, or Bengals, that may be the last straw. It might be time to see if someone else can help push Josh Allen over the finish line.

Prediction: FIRED at the end of the season. Bills win division, finishing 11-6, but lose to the Chiefs in the playoffs for a fourth time in five years, leading to McDermott's exit.

Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears

Eberflus entered this season after back-to-back losing seasons to begin his tenure with the Bears. How long would Chicago give him to coach Caleb Williams before pivoting to someone new?

While Williams has struggled, the Bears defense (Eberflus' side of the ball) has been excellent in 2024, so it's safe to say Eberful will be coming back.

Prediction: RETAINED at the end of the season. Bears finish last in the division but still have a winning record of 10-7.

Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Last year the Jaguars suffered a historic collapse, blowing an 8-3 record to finish 9-8 and miss the playoffs. They have followed that up with a 2-6 start in 2024, meaning the team is 3-11 in their past 14 games. That's not good, and it's putting Pederson in hot water.

Trevor Lawrence is talented, and the organziation will not want to give up on the young man who they chose first overall and led them to a playoff win in his second season. Pederson is more expendable.

Prediction: FIRED mid-season, after the Jaguars lose to the Jets in week 15 and fall to 4-10 on the year.