A shelf life for coaches isn't long in the NFL, as two teams already handed out their pink slips this season to their head coaches. The New York Jets only needed five weeks to move on from Robert Saleh while the New Orleans Saints parted ways with Dennis Allen earlier this month. They won't be the only ones to go either.
There are plenty of coaches that are on the hot seat for the remainder of the 2024 season. Some may not make it to the end of the year, as teams will want to get a head start on the process to find their next head coach for 2025 and beyond. Some coaches may not even make it to Thanksgiving at this rate.
Whose seat is the hottest heading into Week 12? There are certainly a few candidates that are on the hot seat at this point in the season.
6. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns)
- Career record (5 seasons): 39-38
- Win percentage: .506
The Browns are a disaster right now, little of which is Stefanski's doing. The organization tied themselves into Deshaun Watson with $230 million guaranteed, crippling any move the front office can make to make the team better. Until Watson's injury, Stefanski couldn't even bench Watson due to all the money owed on his contract (the Browns are in Year 3 of the deal).
Stefanski is a year removed from guiding the Browns to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth with four different starting quarterbacks. The 42-year-old Stefanski is a two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year and has easily been the Browns' best head coach since the franchise returned in 1999.
Unfortunately, the Browns are 2-8 this season and a dysfunctional organization. Someone is set to be the fall guy for a season which had the Browns with playoff expectations. That likely will be Stefanski, who would easily get a head coaching job somewhere else.
5. Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders)
- Career record (2 seasons): 7-12
- Win percentage: .368
Pierce earned the job as the Raiders head coach after going 5-4 in an interim role last season, including a victory over the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas. This season has been the exact opposite of what the Raiders were expecting in Year 1 with Pierce having the full-time job, but one they should have seen coming.
The Raiders have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. Frankly, they don't have a lot of talent on their roster -- especially on offense after they traded Davante Adams. The Raiders already seem to be starting the process of replacing Pierce after this season, especially with Tom Brady officially part of the ownership group.
Pierce can get the most out of his players, but he likely isn't a head coach going forward.
4. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Career record: 41-51-1 (6 seasons)
- Win percentage: .446
The Bengals are getting career seasons from Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, yet another slow start for the franchise has put them in a hole they can't overcome. Mismanagement by the front office has allowed good players to walk out the door to other teams, depriving the team of talented players that could have helped the franchise compete for a Super Bowl with Burrow and Chase in their primes.
A change in leadership could be in order after this season. Taylor is coming off three consecutive winning seasons, but the Bengals should be better than their 4-7 record indicates. Coaches would also flock to coach Burrow in his prime, no matter how poor the Bengals are in the trenches (minus Trey Hendrickson).
Taylor will likely get another opportunity to coach in the league, but his run in Cincinnati appears to be over.
3. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys)
- Career record: 170-109-2 (18 seasons) -- 45-32 (5 seasons with Cowboys)
- Win percentage: .609 (.584 with Cowboys)
McCarthy has essentially been on thin ice since the start of the season, as Jerry Jones essentially let him coach in a lame-duck year (no contract extension). The Cowboys had very talented teams throughout most of McCarthy's tenure, but failed to get past the divisional round of the playoffs.
After saying he was going "all-in" this offseason, the best move owner Jerry Jones made was bringing in a worse version of Ezekiel Elliott. The results showed early, as the Cowboys defense looked lost without Dan Quinn at defensive coordinator (Quinn is the head coach in Washington now) and McCarthy's play calling has stagnated the offense.
With Dak Prescott out for the seaosn, the Cowboys have no shot at a winning record. They are one of the worst teams in football without him. Dallas has trailed by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games -- an NFL record -- all under McCarthy,
The only reason McCarthy isn't No. 1 on this list is because Jones usually doesn't fire coaches midseason. McCarthy will likely be here until the very end.
2. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears)
- Career record: 14-30 (3 seasons)
- Win percentage: .318
The Bears have never fired a head coach during the season, but perhaps they should have set a new trend with Eberflus. How many offensive coordinators is it going to take for the front office to realize Eberflus has little clue what he's doing to groom a franchise quarterback? The Bears already runed Justin Fields' career under Eberflus and already haven't helped Caleb Williams by letting him play his rookie season under Eberflus' leadership.
Firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after just nine games into his tenure already seemed like a desperate move by Eberflus to keep his job, as the Bears went 26 consecutive possessions before scoring a touchdown again. The Bears have also lost two games in heartbreaking fashion during their four-game losing streak, one on a "Hail Mary" throw and the other on a blocked field goal attempt (that would have given them a victory).
Eberflus has been marred with bad coaching decisions throughout his tenure in Chicago. He's just not a good head coach, and it's surprising he still has a job at this point.
1. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Career record: 62-62-1 (8 seasons) -- 20-25 with Jaguars (3 seasons)
- Win percentage: .500 (.444 with Jaguars)
The end of the road appears to be coming for Pederson in Jacksonville, and it's surprising it hasn't happened after Sunday's 52-7 drubbing by the Detroit Lions -- the worst loss in Jaguars franchise history. The Jaguars are 3-14 since their 8-3 start last season, a total collapse by the organization under Pederson.
Jacksonville never recovered from its 0-4 start, and Pederson has contemplated coaching changes on the defensive side of the ball (the Jaguars are last in the NFL in points and yards allowed per possession). Those changes aren't likely to matter, as Pederson has a shelf life with the Jaguars.
At this point, it's not if -- but when -- Pederson is fired. Pederson does have a Super Bowl championship on his resume, but the Jaguars appear to be his last stop as an NFL head coach.
