Who will be the first NFL coach fired? It turns out, Robert Saleh. The New York Jets made Saleh the first NFL coach fired in 2024. Teams 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 join Saleh.
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.
Related: NFL power rankings
Let’s immediately dive into the NFL coaching hot seat after Week 7, 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 coaches will be fired?
1. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach – Gone Before December
Another win does nothing to change the fact that Doug Pederson is the poster boy for NFL coaches on the hot seat. As always, there are a myriad of reasons why Jacksonville has a strong cause to make a head-coaching change. We’re also quite confident in saying, Pederson won’t be the Jaguars coach by December.
- Doug Pederson coach record: 62-58-1 overall, 20-21 with the Jacksonville Jaguars
We’ll start with Trevor Lawrence, who has seen his completion rate progressively worsen in each of the last three seasons from 66.3 percent in 2022 to 62.1 percent this year. Likewise, Lawrence’s net yards per attempt has slipped from 6.43 (2022) to 6.33 (2023) and is now at 6.24 this season.
Not only is Lawrence not improving, but the Jaguars record since the start of December 2023 is 3-10 which puts them in the same company as the Carolina Panthers. If that’s not enough, Pederson is the same coach who admitted the team needs a culture change and blamed players instead of the coaching staff for play calls not working. Pederson’s firing is coming and when it happens, he’ll only have himself to blame for it (again).
Related: Jacksonville Jaguars coaching candidates to replace Doug Pederson
2. Brian Daboll, New York Giants head coach – As Good as Gone
As is often the case with NFL coaches on the hot seat, multiple circumstances shape the decision. The New York Giants head coach started the year on our NFL coaching hot seat then got a little breathing room after a 2-3 start, including a 29-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks. However, the last two games are a reminder of why Brian Daboll’s days with New York are numbered.
- Brian Daboll coaching record: 17-23-1 with the New York Giants, 8-16 in the last two years
For one thing, entering NFL games today, the Giants offense ranks 30th in scoring (14.1 PPG) and 29th in yards per play average (4.5) and red-zone touchdown rate (42.11 percent). Daniel Jones has regressed, instead of progressing, since signing his contract extension which cost the team Saquon Barkley. This is also the same head coach who got into a bitter feud with his defensive coordinator, created toxicity within the Giants coaching staff is reportedly losing the Giants locker room and has a shaky reputation league-wide. Daboll’s personality can only be tolerated if a team is winning and his offenses are lighting up scoreboards, New York hasn’t experienced either of those things in two years.
3. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints – Fired on Black Monday
For obvious reasons, Dennis Allen was among the NFL coaches on the hot seat entering the regular season. All of that changed after a historic 2-0 start, that saw the New Orleans Saints decimate the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys in historic fashion. The Saints have since lost five consecutive games.
Related: NFL defense rankings
- Dennis Allen coaching record: 26-51 overall, 18-23 as the New Orleans Saints coach
What is even more damning for Allen is the falloff with this Saints defense. From Weeks 1-3, New Orleans held its opponents to a 67.8 QB rating, 1-5 TD-INT ratio, averaged 3.7 sacks per game and held opponents to a 35.14% third-down conversion rate. In the last three games, New Orleans has allowed an 88.7 QB rating with 3 total sacks and its opponents are averaging over 210 rushing yards per game with a 45.7 third-down conversion rate. Defense is the one thing Allen is supposed to bring to the table. If he can’t do that and the Saints are losing games in embarrassing fashion, ownership will make a change after the season (Black Monday).
4. Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders – Hot Seat Getting Warmer
Stop giving interim coaches the full-time gig, not everyone is Dan Campbell. The Las Vegas Raiders listened to what the locker room and fan base wanted last season, for interim coach Antonio Pierce to keep the job. It didn’t matter that his only prior coaching experience was as a recruiting coordinator, defensive play-caller, and associate head coach at Arizona State, where he was caught cheating and received NCAA discipline, the good vibes from a 5-4 record are what mattered.
- Antonio Pierce coaching record: 7-9 with the las Vegas Raiders
Pierce isn’t calling plays for the Raiders defense, that credit goes to Patrick Graham. He also isn’t that involved with the offense, as offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is handling that underwhelming unit. It allows Pierce to focus on important head-coaching duties, like when to use timeouts and situational play-calling like whether or not to go for it on certain fourth downs.
Except, those are some of the biggest shortcomings of this Raiders team, Las Vegas averages 4.3 punts per game (11th in NFL) and it also has the most turnovers per game (2.3). If that’s not bad enough, the Raiders also average nearly 50 penalty yards per game. The Raiders are just poorly coached and this “motivator” who was kept around to keep the locker room together is making mistakes in press conferences and leading a team that seems to be getting worse. With Tom Brady now given a say in the organization, Pierce might be done.
Related: NFL power rankings
5. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles coach – Lame Duck Coach
The only reason the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t fire Nick Sirianni this offseason is because, unlike his predecessor Doug Pederson, Sirianni was willing to be flexible with this Eagles coaching staff. Granted, Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie are the ones who hand-picked Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, but you get why Sirianni is still around right now.
However, he serves very little purpose to the organization at this point. Moore is handling play-calling duties for the offense while Fangio takes care of everything defensively. Philadelphia is simply asking Sirianni to operate like a CEO, just ensuring that everything stays organized, jobs are being done and unwanted problems aren’t created.
Yet Sirianni finds a way to even fail in this role. He used his kids as media shields during a recent press conference, a press conference where he was rightfully questioned for yelling at the team’s fans. He then issued a half-hearted apology which seemed to be pushed on him by the organization. This is the same head coach who has repeatedly clashed with the quarterback, even forcing Jalen Hurts to go around him. Talent is winning games for the Eagles, but if this team doesn’t make a deep playoff run, Sirianni will be fired.
Fired NFL coaches 2024
Robert Saleh, New York Jets – 2-3 – FIRED
Aaron Rodgers, along with New York Jets owner Woddy Johnson, made their decision much sooner than anyone expected. Just a day after the team returned from London following the loss to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Robert Saleh was fired on Tuesday morning.
Related: New York Jets coaching candidates to replace Robert Saleh
Saleh certainly isn’t entirely responsible for this disappointing season. Rodgers hand-picked Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator, that’s the only reason why the Jets hired him before the 2023 season. Likewise, Hackett stuck around for another year because of his relationship with Rodgers. It’s also evident that Hackett’s offense and Rodgers’ decision-making on the field are some of the team’s biggest problems right now.
With all that said, Saleh didn’t have much power in the organization. Jets general manager Joe Douglas built the roster and, since his arrival, Rodgers had far more input than the head coach. Saleh isn’t necessarily the scapegoat, considering New York gave him four seasons to make it work, but his defense kept this team in half-decent shape for years as the offense tried to drag it to the bottom of the NFL standings.