Coaching changes are commonplace in the NFL.
The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately?” league, and that's reflected in the fact that the list of coaches currently in hot water includes former Coach of the Year, playoff winners and Super Bowl champions.
But when teams are struggling, changes are made, and right now there are struggling teams in the NFL and coaches who entered the year already struggling.
Here are seven coaches who could be in trouble, ranked in order of how likely they are to sweep the office in the coming weeks.
7. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
It may be surprising to see the two-time Coach of the Year on this list, but the manager's seat could warm up under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland's offense has struggled this season. Browns The team has yet to score 20 points in a game this year, and while that may be due in part to league-wide trends, they need to score more offensively if they want to make another playoff berth.
Cleveland's biggest issue right now is quarterback play, and Stefanski showed his coaching prowess last season when Joe Flacco ultimately led the Browns to the playoffs. Another stellar performance from Stefanski may be needed this year for Cleveland to get back to the playoffs and for Stefanski to keep his job.
6. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
It may seem odd to see the coach of a 2-1 team on such a list, but Philadelphia's collapse late last season certainly put Nick Sirianni in a tough spot heading into the 2024 season.
producer FOX Sports It was easy to find fans booing during last Sunday's game against the Eagles. New Orleans SaintsBooing erupted as Sirianni made some poor decisions on fourth down. Philadelphia was stopped on two fourth downs in New Orleans territory, first on fourth down and 1-yard situation at the Saints' 15-yard line late in the first half, and then on fourth down and 3-yard situation at the Saints' 34-yard line early in the third quarter.
In the end, Philadelphia came away with a big 15-12 win over New Orleans thanks to some impressive running from Saquon Barkley and a stellar performance from the Eagles defense. The win likely bought Sirianni a little more time, but the Philadelphia coaching spot remains hot.
5. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Brian Daboll was dealt the Daniel Jones card and he's playing it to the best of his ability. Daboll led the team to a surprising playoff run in his first year in New York and helped develop Tommy DeVito into a household name after Jones was sidelined with a knee injury early last season.
With Barkley moving to Philadelphia this year and Jones returning under center, Daboll built his offense around rookie wide receiver Malik Neighbors. He became the first player in NFL history to He had 23 receptions and three touchdowns in the first three games last Sunday.
Perhaps more impressive than anything else is that Daboll has led the Giants to a 1-2 record given what he's been given. It's unlikely New York will be changing head coaches anytime soon, but if the wheels suddenly come off, his spot could be hot.
4. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
It feels like a decade since the Bengals last went to the Super Bowl as one of the most promising teams in football. Until now, the lack of success has been blamed on Joe Burrow's injuries, which gave Zac Taylor his Teflon-like immunity. Now that's worn off.
The Bengals have too much skill-position talent to keep losing, losing to the Commanders on coaching and ability is a sign they don't have what it takes, and they need to understand they're squandering their best opportunity in decades.
It's hard to imagine the Panthers deciding everything in Week 4, but here it is: In a bizarre twist for Andy Dalton's revenge game, Carolina gets some new life with a new center, and if the Bengals lose again to what is considered one of the worst teams in the NFL, Taylor will be fired and a coaching search will begin in Cincinnati.
3. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
No one has a good answer for why Eberflus won't lose his job in 2023 and the problem continues into 2024. Chicago's line play is a mess on both offense and defense. Chicago's offense has degenerated into just letting Caleb Williams throw 50+ innings a game and hoping it works. It doesn't.
There isn't much to say about Eberflus beyond what has already been said. He has been above his weight since the moment he took over with the Bears, and it's showing every time. Sooner or later, this organization will realize that he is one of the main reasons this team is being held back, and they can't further impede Williams' development as a franchise QB.
2. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
Like every year, expectations were sky-high for the Cowboys in 2024. But three weeks in, things are in tatters. Dallas is 1-2, tied with the Giants for last place in the NFC East, and everything is going great.
The worst part was the blowout loss to the Saints, but a loss to the Ravens isn't much consolation — this team's only win came against the struggling Browns and they look more like a mid-major wild-card contender than a dominant NFC force.
At the center of all of this is Mike McCarthy, a great football coach, but unable to figure out how to improve his team. The organization can't keep banging its head against the wall for long, and unless there's a major change in the Cowboys' fortunes, there's a very good chance he won't last to the end of the season.
1. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
(/ take a breath)
Ah, where do I even begin to talk about Pederson’s tenure with the Jaguars? Well, let’s start here. Everything and everyone has been worse since they made the playoffs in 2022. Trevor Lawrence, a great QB, played the worst football of his career, including the Urban Meyer era with receivers running into each other. Plus, constant half-assed measures by a poor offensive line in 2022 kept this team sinking. They can’t run the ball and they can’t pass protect at all. Not only that, but the constant rift between his philosophy and general manager Trent Baalke (who is also struggling) add up to this roster being screwed from top to bottom.
But the most incriminating aspect of the Pederson era so far has been trying to keep the team with an offensive coordinator who is actually bad at calling plays and designing an offense. Since 2022, the offense has looked stale, unimaginative and generally lacking in vision. For a player with an offensive mind like Pederson, this deserves to be fired. You can't be in charge of the offense and have it be the worst part of the team.
With the heat already on this seat at nuclear levels, it may not be a question of if Pederson will be fired, but when.
