NFL Black Monday is not going to be good for multiple head coaches around the league. The day after the end of the NFL regular season schedule tends to bring pink slips to several coaches.
This year will likely see Washington Commanders head man Ron Rivera given his walking papers after a disaster class of a season.
Other bigger-name head coaches could also be out of a job, likely via trades. That includes six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.
While most of the coaches listed above won’t be victims of Black Monday, there is a chance that they could see their relationships with their current organizations end later in January.
Without further ado, here is a look at 10 NFL head coaches we should be checking in on now that the regular season has come to a conclusion.
Related: NFL head coaches on the hot seat
10. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia headed into Week 18 with an 11-5 record and having lost four of its past five games. The team threw away a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC following a disastrous home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Meanwhile, there are widespread reports that coaching changes will be in store with the Eagles set to head to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers during NFL Wild Card Weekend. An early playoff exit could very well lead to Philadelphia making a surprise move to fire Sirianni.
- Verdict: Nick Sirianni’s job is safe
Related: Philadelphia Eagles’ implosion to end 2023 is all on head coach Nick Sirianni
9. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
From NFL Coach of the Year to being on the hot seat? Are we actually buying this with the Giants finishing up the 2023 season with a 6-11 record? Sure. It’s been a disaster class of a season for the Giants. They ranked 30th in the NFL in scoring (14.9 PPG) and yielded the fifth-most points (24.8 PPG).
The question here is whether Giants general manager Joe Schoen would even consider making a move considering he brought Daboll with him from Buffalo ahead of the 2022 season. Could they both chalk the 2023 season up to injuries and other factors out of their control? Sure. But six wins while being outscored by an average of nearly 10 points per game is not a great look for either.
- Verdict: Brian Daboll’s job is safe
Related: Top NFL head coach candidates
8. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas won the NFC East. It has to be seen as a top conference title contender with the San Francisco 49ers. That’s all fine and dandy. But for owner Jerry Jones, it’s all about playoff success. Dallas has not made it as far as the NFC Championship Game since January of 1996. The ‘Boys have seen their season come to an end against the aforementioned 49ers each of the past two years. The onus is clearly on McCarthy to lead this team to a deep playoff run.
Another early playoff exit could very well cost McCarthy his job with Jones looking in another direction. Current defensive coordinator Dan Quinn continues to be bandied about as a potential replacement. The fact that he turned down interviews for head coach jobs last cycle adds another layer to this.
- Verdict: Mike McCarthy is fired short of run to NFC Championship Game
7. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tomlin just finished up the 16th consecutive non-losing season in his role as Pittsburgh’s head coach. No, the Steelers are not going to fire him. In fact, what we have seen from Tomlin as he led the team to another playoff appearance has been amazing.
Despite all of this, rumors continue to persist that the Steelers and Tomlin might come to the conclusion that their relationship has run its course.
“All I am telling you is that Mike Tomlin’s name has been brought up an awful lot lately,” Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer on Tomlin trade rumors.
This is a scenario we could actually envision happening long after NFL Black Monday. Sure, the Steelers have had only three head coaches since 1969. They value continuity. But this team has not won a playoff game since 2016. Other organizations would love to bring Tomlin in, even if it means sending draft pick compensation to Pittsburgh. At the very least, it’s something to keep an eye on.
- Verdict: Mike Tomlin remains with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Related: Pittsburgh Steelers head coach candidates to replace Mike Tomlin
6. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
As the oldest head coach in the NFL, it makes sense to question how much longer Carroll will remain in the Pacific Northwest. That’s especially true with Seattle seemingly headed more for a rebuild than outright contention with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.
The Seahawks are a mere 25-26 in their past 51 games. There’s been some quiet rumors out of Seattle that this long-time relationship could be coming to an end. Even if Carroll wants to remain an NFL head coach, it could be with a team that has more of an opportunity to contend moving forward.
- Verdict: Seattle Seahawks, Pete Carroll surprisingly agree to divorce
Related: Top Dallas Cowboys assistant favored to replace Pete Carroll
5. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Recent reports indicate that Eberflus’ job is safe. It makes some sense with the Bears having won seven of 13 since an 0-4 start to the season. We still can’t help but wonder whether this is just fluff coming from Bears President Kevin Warren after he was given a mandate earlier in the season to clean house.
Chicago is locked into the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft due to its blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers last spring. The team boasts its own first rounder and a major decision to make on young quarterback Justin Fields.
In fact, what happens with Fields could dictate in what direction they go at head coach. He seems to be tied to Eberflus. If the Bears opt to trade Fields and go with Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall in the draft, getting an offensive-minded head coach makes sense. Regardless of the recent report, we still believe that Eberlus is on the hot seat heading into NFL Black Monday.
- Verdict: Chicago Bears fire Matt Eberflus
4. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
After 24 seasons as the Patriots’ head coach, it sure looks like Belichick will be calling another NFL city home in 2024. However, he is not going to be a product of Black Monday. The six-time Super Bowl champion is set to meet with Patriots owner Robert Kraft next week. A decision will be made between the two when that meeting takes place.
If this is indeed the end of the line for Belichick, what a run it has been for the future Hall of Famer in New England. He’ll now head to another team in an attempt to break Don Shula’s career wins mark.
Where Belichick is slated to end up remains to be seen. He’s been linked to the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders, among other teams.
- Verdict: Bill Belichick traded to the Washington Commanders
3. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Allen is just 16-18 as the Saints’ head coach since replacing Sean Payton ahead of the 2022 season. The team has not shown much improvement this season after he posted a 7-10 record during his first run in the Bayou.
The question here is obvious. Will the Saints’ brass change up its head coach while still looking to compete for a playoff spot moving forward? It’s a veteran-laden roster with several core pieces on the defensive side of the ball. ”
- Verdict: Dennis Allen survived NFL Black Friday
Related: New Orleans Saints coaching candidates to replace Dennis Allen
2. Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Recent reports indicate that Smith’s job with the Falcons are safe. Based on what we’ve heard from owner Arthur Blank, that seems to be highly unlikely.
“We will let the season play out and go from there. Obviously, this has not been the kind of year we expected,” Blank said back in December.
About the season playing out? Blank refused to speak with media after Atlanta’s ugly 37-17 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 17. They were then blown out by the aforementioned Saints in Week 18.
Since becoming Atlanta’s head coach back in 2021, Smith has posted a combined 21-30 record. The Falcons’ offense has been a disaster in 2023 (26th in scoring, 22nd in passing). Meanwhile, Blank’s reputation of being patient could be waning with the long-time owner set to turn 82 at the start of next season.
- Verdict: Arthur Smith is a victim of NFL Black Monday
1. Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
This one is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Washington lost 13 of 15 since a 2-0 start to the season. Rivera fired defensive coordintor Jack Del Rio in order to save his job following an ugly loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
The backdrop here is obvious. Newish Commanders owner Josh Harris wants to change the culture after buying the team from the disgraced Daniel Snyder. He certainly wants to put his mark on the team. That will likely include Harris going big-game hunting with Bill Belichick being a prime target.
- Verdict: Ron Rivera is first victim of Black Friday