As we conclude the week 10 slate in the NFL, the head coaching landscape in the NFL is starting to get rough for some teams. Some of these coaches who are on the hot seat had already come into the season on a hot seat and haven’t done much of anything to cool it. Some of the coaches on this list may not make it to the end of the season if things don’t turn around quickly.
NFL Head Coaches on the Hot Seat
Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
McCarthy was already coming into the season with no long-term security from the team, which spoke to the Dallas organization’s lack of confidence in him. In his last three years with the team, McCarthy coached the Cowboys to three straight 12-4 seasons. Each season ended in bad playoff losses and the team falling short.
With one year on his contract coming into the 2024 season, McCarthy was going to need to blaze the trails and rack up at least a couple of playoff wins; however, that doesn’t look to be in the cards for Dallas this season. The Cowboys are 3-6 with their playoff hopes stumbling, and three of their six losses have come by more than 25 points, with their most recent being a 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In recent weeks, everyone from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and former players of the franchise have heavily criticized the coaching and execution of the team. Then there is this quote from Micah Parsons gave to the media after the loss to the Eagles that sums up the job McCarthy has done so far.
” All coaching aside, Mike can leave and go wherever he wants, but guys I kind of feel bad for is guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year, on their way out, because that’s who I want to go hold the trophy for. You want to win games and do great things with those type of legends who put in more time and work than Mike McCarthy ever did. Those are the kind of guys that I have so much sympathy and hurt for.”
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
After starting the season with a 4-2 record, the Chicago Bears are now 4-5, losing three straight, and the team is spiraling fast. One of the losses was against the Washington Commanders in week 8 on a hail-mary in the final seconds. The players criticized the whole sequence as they felt like Eberflus didn’t put them in the best positions to succeed.
That hail-mary loss could be considered what ended the Eberflus era in Chicago. The offense is not playing well, and the Bears’ top pick, Caleb Williams, seems to be regressing week after week. With the Bears locker room questioning the coaching and leadership of Eberflus and the rookie quarterback not playing well, a coaching change could soon be made in Chicago.
Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a mess this season. They are 2-8 and are currently slated to have the number one pick in the NFL Draft if the season ends today. In 2022, the Jaguars made playoffs under Pederson and started off the 2023 season 8-3 before going 1-5 down the stretch and missing out on the playoffs. 2024 was supposed to be a bounce-back season for the Jags under Pederson, but it has been nothing but a bounce-back.
The Jaguars’ defense is among the worst in the league, and the offense is the league average in most metrics. The star franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence recently hurt his shoulder and could miss the rest of the season, which will make it challenging for Jacksonville to win any more games down the stretch, which could lead to the firing of Pederson.
Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are the losers of five straight games. They didn’t play in week 10 because of their bye week, but if Pierce and the Raiders don’t come out of the bye week stacking up wins, it could lead to his first and only year as the full-time head coach of the Raiders.
The Raiders hired Pierce this offseason after making him the interim head coach last season after firing the previous coach, Josh McDaniels. Since being hired full-time, Pierce has fired his offensive coordinator midseason and continues to rotate through starting quarterbacks to find a solution. Pierce will need a solid push to be able to keep his job next season.
Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
