Which NFL coaches are on the hot seat? A deep pool of NFL coaching candidates in 2025 means teams will be more willing to make changes. For these NFL coaches on the hot seat heading into the 2024 season, that creates plenty of motivation from training camp through the fall.
NFL owners know the likes of Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel will be available in 2024. There will also likely be suitors for rising names like Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. As a result, we could see quite a few NFL coaches fired.
Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
One thing you can say about Jerry Jones is that the Dallas Cowboys team owner is very loyal to those he trusts. Of course, that also helps explain why the Cowboys are closing in on a 30-year Super Bowl drought. Dallas is giving McCarthy another season, but the roster is arguably worse than it was a year ago. If the Cowboys don’t at least reach the NFC Championship Game, Jones will likely let McCarthy’s contract expire and go after someone like Bill Belichick.
- Mike McCarthy coaching record: 42-25 in regular season with Dallas Cowboys, 1-3 in playoffs
Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Pederson was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars to do two things. First, unlock Trevor Lawrence and make him one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Second, make the Jaguars a perennial playoff contender with an electric offense. After signs of progress in 2022, Lawrence wasn’t maximized in 2023 and the Jaguars took a significant step backward with some alarming struggles in the second half of the season. A lot of it, frankly, was because Pederson’s loyalty to offensive coordinator Press Taylor as play-caller doomed Jacksonville. If Pederson isn’t going to get the most out of Lawrence and he continues to allow an inferior play-caller to run things in 2024, the Jaguars will find someone else.
- Doug Pederson coaching record: 18-16 with Jacksonville Jaguars
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Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Landing a quarterback might’ve given Brian Daboll more job security. Instead, the New York Giants head coach was given this offseason to rebuild his coaching staff, parting ways with the assistants he ruffled feathers with in exchange for new voices. Only time will tell if the rumors of Daboll being hard to work with are true. Even if Daboll proves he can play well with others, overseeing one of the worst NFL offenses for the second consecutive year with another season of double-digit losses will almost certainly get Daboll canned.
- Brian Daboll coaching record: 15-18-1
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Robert Saleh, New York Jets
NFL coaches typically receive two or three seasons to prove themselves. If you fail to deliver consistent improvement during that time, you’re gone. Robert Saleh is a rare exception with an 18-33 record that would’ve gotten most head coaches canned after the third year. Of course, the Aaron Rodgers’ injury last year saved him. That won’t be the case in 2024. If the Jets don’t win a playoff game, New York probably isn’t bringing Saleh back for a fifth season.
- Robert Saleh coaching record: 18-33
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Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
We didn’t think the Chicago Bears were going to keep Matt Eberflus around last season. With the opportunity to pair a top offensive mind with Caleb Williams, the opportunity seemed too good to pass up. Instead, Chicago decided to roll the dice and allow the defensive guru to have one last shot with a highly gifted quarterback and a much-improved roster. There’s a chance the Bears could make the playoffs, which would put Eberflus on the ballot for NFL Coach of the Year. On the other hand, failing to take advantage of all the talent on this roster with another losing season would be guaranteed walking papers for Eberflus.
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Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Dennis Allen is a very good defensive coordinator and he seems to be very well-liked in the New Orleans Saints locker room. With that said, five years of Allen as an NFL head coach has provided more than enough evidence to prove he’s not good enough for this job. Yes, New Orleans won 9 games last season, but they faced the easiest schedule in the NFL. Allen just isn’t cut out for this job and he won’t be an NFL head coach in 2025.
- Dennis Allen coaching record: 24-46 overall, 16-18 with New Orleans Saints
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Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
After one of the biggest collapses in the second half of a season in NFL history, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie brought Nick Sirianni in for a meeting. It was the same meeting Doug Pederson received a few years earlier, with Lurie ready to make a change if his head coach didn’t have the right plan for a new coaching staff. Sirianni survived, barely. The Eagles were aggressive this offseason in adding more talent to the roster and adding proven play-callers (Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore) to support Sirianni. Bottom line, failing to win the NFC East will get Sirianni fired and a very slow start could even make him an in-season firing with two capable veteran coaches behind him.
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Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
It might seem outlandish to have a first-year head coach listed among the NFL coaches on the hot seat in 2024. Keep in mind, though, Dan Quinn was not the Washington Commanders’ first choice. They had limited options because many were very hesitant to get involved with so much uncertainty surrounding the franchise. Now, a coach who went 14-23 in his final three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, is tasked with turning around one of the league’s worst defenses and hoping arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL doesn’t endanger Jayden Daniels. A lot would have to go wrong for the Commanders, but 4 wins or fewer would certainly be enough to call Quinn’s job into question. At that point, it just comes down to which top candidates want to work with Daniels.
- Dan Quinn coaching record: 43-42 with Atlanta Falcons
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Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Of all the NFL coaches on the hot seat mentioned in this list, Todd Bowles is among those with the best security. He went 9-8 last season, with his offensive coordinator Dave Canales getting way more out of Baker Mayfield than anyone expected. The NFC South is winnable and we feel good about new Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator Liam Coen calling plays. With that said, Bowles’ overall coaching record and the chance that a down year in Tampa Bay leads to a reset, does put the Buccaneers’ head coach under some pressure in 2024.
- Todd Bowles coaching record: 43-58 overall
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Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton is one of the highest-paid coaches in sports and his resume makes him one of the best NFL coaches of his era. With that acknowledged, the Denver Broncos let him use the 2023 season as a burn year then cut ties with Russell Wilson even at the cost of a record-setting dead cap charge. In 2024, the Broncos’ roster and quarterback situation is much worse. The situation is ripe for Denver to be one of the worst teams in football this fall, potentially challenging for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. If that happens and the fan base loses its patience, the heir to Walmart won’t be afraid of the financial costs of replacing Payton.
- Sean Payton coaching record: 160-98 overall