The role of an NFL head coach is one of the least secure jobs in sports. Each year, multiple coaches are replaced after disappointing seasons, while some are on the chopping block before the campaign even reaches its conclusion.
In 2023, the Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Josh McDaniels midseason and the Carolina Panthers fired Frank Reich after just 11 games into his first season at the helm. Additionally, Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley was let go after a gargantuan beatdown by the Raiders in Week 15.
That doesn't even touch on the offseason coaching carousel that saw eight head coaching positions vacated and filled. As the campaign plays out, there could very well be some midseason coaching changes looming.
Here are five coaches who may find themselves starting the season on the hot seat, or at the very least without a lot of job security.
Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones is impatient. And with each passing year that the Cowboys go without a Super Bowl, that patience wears even thinner. McCarthy is entering his fifth season as the head coach in Dallas. Although the team has made the playoffs in each of the last three years, they have little else to show for it, having won just one playoff game in that span.
2024 could be a do-or-die year for McCarthy and the Cowboys. The team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, leaving little reason that the team can't at least make a run to the Super Bowl.
Robert Saleh, New York Jets
Saleh is entering his fourth year as head coach of the Jets, and thus far into his tenure the team has managed just 18 wins in 51 games. Following back-to-back 7–10 seasons, the Jets are anticipated to compete for a Super Bowl in 2024 with Aaron Rodgers healthy and back under center following the Achilles injury that ended his season on the Jets' very first drive in 2023.
Saleh effectively got a free pass on the '23 season amid Rodgers's absence, but those Super Bowl aspirations will be stronger than ever in 2024. The coach will at the very least need lead the franchise to its first winning season since 2015 if he wants to stick around.
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Eberflus hasn't had the most successful stint with the Bears since taking over the head-coaching role in 2022. Granted, Chicago hasn't had a formidable roster in quite some time, but that has changed heading into 2023.
The team looks stronger than it has in recent years, having made some significant offseason additions on both sides of the ball. They also have No. 1 pick Caleb Williams at their disposal, whom the organization hopes is the long-term answer at quarterback. If Eberflus can't improve on the 10–24 record he's amassed in his first two seasons, his time with the Bears could be up sooner than later.
Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles enjoyed a terrific start to the year in 2023 when they won their first 10 games. Things didn't go so smoothly after that, as they managed to win just one of their next seven contests, ending the year 11–6 before being bounced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs.
It's the second time in Sirianni's three-year stint as coach that the Eagles suffered an early playoff exit. Despite winning the NFC Championship Game and reaching the Super Bowl in 2022, another year of postseason shortcomings could be what results in Sirianni's ousting from the franchise.
Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Similar to Jerry Jones in Dallas, Jaguars owner Shad Khan is running thin when it comes to patience. Since he purchased the team in 2011, Jacksonville has made the playoffs just twice. In 2017, they made a surprising run to the AFC Championship game with Blake Bortles under center, and they reached the divisional round in 2022 under Trevor Lawrence.
Khan wants to win, plain and simple. If Pederson and the Jaguars, who have one of their best rosters in recent years in 2024, fail to do so, heads could roll, with Pederson being at the top of that list. Entering his third season with the team, Pederson owns an 18–16 record in the regular season but will need to do better than that if he wants to achieve the results Khan is seeking.
Honorable Mentions
In addition to the aforementioned five coaches, the likes of Brian Daboll (New York Giants), Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints) and Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills) could all find their seats warming throughout the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five NFL Head Coaches on the Hot Seat Entering 2024 Season.
