Who will be the first NFL coach fired? Teams in the National Football League are more willing than ever to fire a head coach. While we’re just a few weeks into the regular season, the NFL coaches shot seat features plenty of names who could be fired before we even reach Black Monday.
Typically, a majority of NFL coaches on the hot seat who are fired receive the news after the final game of the regular season. However, we’ve seen plenty of in-season firings in recent years, with owners cutting ties with a head coach when the team isn’t meeting expectations.
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Let’s immediately dive into the NFL coaching hot seat after Week 5, examining which NFL coaches are in jeopardy of being fired. We’ll include an analysis of just how hot the seat is, when that NFL coach could be fired and why they are on the hot seat.
NFL coaching hot seat: Which NFL head coach will be fired first?
1. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars – 1-4 – Will be Fired
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson probably isn’t making it to the end of the regular season. The Philadelphia Eagles fired him after the 2020 NFL season because he refused to make changes to his coaching staff, including Press Taylor. Fast forward to 2024, Pederson’s loyalty to Taylor is just as strong despite the fact that Jacksonville’s part-time play-caller is engineering one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
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Through the first five games of the season, the Jaguars’ offense ranks 30th in third-down conversion rate (25.93 percent), 25th in red-zone touchdown rate (44.4 percent) and 21st in second-half points per game (9.6). All of that is a reflection on coaching. The Jaguars are also 2-9 since December 2023. This is the same coach who sided with Taylor and blamed the players for the team’s 0-4 start telling reporters, “As coaches we can’t make the plays.” Without the locker room or ownership on his side, there’s little chance Taylor survives the year.
2. Robert Saleh, New York Jets – 2-3 – Likely to be Fired
On the one hand, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh isn’t directly responsible for the hiring of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Nor is Saleh technically to blame for the state of the Jets offensive line and run game. With that said an organization that went all-in for the 2024 NFL season will make changes if a fourth-year head coach posts a losing record every season he’s at the helm.
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There are also plenty of other reasons for New York to move on from Saleh. He publicly butted heads with Aaron Rodgers over the hard count in Week 4, seeming to completely miss who has true power in that organization. This is the same coach who repeatedly defended Zach Wilson last season, putting losses on the team when Wilson failed. No matter how good this defense is, that’s not enough to keep Saleh around. New York might avoid firing Saleh during the regular season simply due to it being perceived as waving the white flag on the 2024 campaign, but he’s out immediately after Week 18 if the Jets aren’t in the playoffs.
3. Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders – 2-3 – In Deep Trouble
The Las Vegas Raiders kept interim head coach Antonio Pierce around for the 2024 NFL season because the locker room and Raider Nation wanted him. A coach who is great at motivating players can be beneficial, but there are a myriad of issues that can cause that message to go stale and a locker room to turn on the coach. Pierce already is on his way to checking multiple boxes.
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It started in Week 3 when following a stunning loss to the Carolina Panthers, Pierce immediately used his press conference to call out anonymous players who made ‘business decisions‘. It opened the door to fan speculation, which immediately resulted in the fan base trying to guess which players Pierce was talking about. Just a week later, Pierce liked an Instagram posting regarding a potential Davante Adams trade and he didn’t talk to the All-Pro receiver about it. Pierce hasn’t shown the savvy to be a head coach, operating with a short-term mindset that has long-term consequences. Plus, this Raiders team has fallen flat in multiple games and a locker room will tune out a ‘motivational’ coach who creates outside noise that players have to deal with and can’t win games.
4. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles – 2-2 – Lame Duck
The Philadelphia Eagles kept Nick Sirianni around for another season because he agreed to make changes to the coaching staff, something his predecessor Doug Pederson refused to do. However, while that bought Sirianni another year, he had little to do with the hiring of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. This is Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman’s team.
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Sirianni’s only purpose in Philadelphia is as the CEO of the locker room and there were more than enough reports last season suggesting he’s not even well-suited for that role. So, you have a head coach who doesn’t call plays, doesn’t have much support from the locker room and isn’t taking advantage of a roster that Roseman and Lurie believe puts them in Super Bowl contention. Sirianni truly serves little purpose to the Eagles and, barring a deep playoff run, it would be the upset of the century if he’s the Eagles coach in 2025.
5. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals – 1-4 – Saved by Circumstances
Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor is the epitome of being saved by the circumstances around him. From 2021-’23, quarterback Joe Burrow posted a 27-15 record as the Bengals starting quarterback. Without him under center during that stretch, Taylor owns a 4-5 record and the team is now off to a 1-4 start this season even with Burrow under center. Cincinnati’s offense is largely being kept afloat by its superstar quarterback and standout receiver duo.
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With that said, even amid this rough start, it’s hard to see Taylor being fired. This is the same family that kept Marvin Lewis around despite the fact he only had 3 winning seasons from 2003-2011. Lewis even stuck around through 6-9-1 and 7-9 seasons before being fired following a third consecutive losing season in 2018. Taylor’s been to a Super Bowl and while the people around him deserve the credit for getting the Bengals there, it’s hard to see Mike Brown making a change.