Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson looks on during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The final week of the regular season has arrived, and you can sense those pink slips being prepared for Black Monday.
Three NFL coaches were fired during the season, and another five to seven may be informed in coming days that it’s time to depart the premises.
Getting word to meet with ownership won’t be a surprise to a few coaches, as they don’t have any real chance of swaying anybody’s mind. A couple others could find themselves in the dreaded “time for a change” dilemma.
One of these coaches might be telling his bosses that he’s going elsewhere.
Let’s examine the coaches who are on the hot seat.
Doug Pederson, Jaguars
There is zero chance that Pederson won’t be shown the door with Jacksonville (4-12) experiencing a disastrous season. The Jaguars are 5-17 dating back to their 2023 late-season collapse as they enter Sunday’s finale. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence also has taken backward steps during Pederson’s tenure. That Super Bowl crown Pederson won with the Eagles in the 2017 season isn’t going to save him.
Brian Daboll, Giants
Brian Daboll. source: Getty Images He’ll always be remembered (not fondly) for this season’s franchise-record 10-game losing streak. Daboll stuck with Daniel Jones longer than any coach should have, but loyalty doesn’t win you games. Guessing Daboll tries to avoid looking at Saquon Barkley’s rushing numbers on a daily basis. This season’s 3-13 mark is exactly what the Giants have earned, and it will send Daboll out the door.
Antonio Pierce, Raiders
Dec 22, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce celebrates after the Raiders made a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images This was his first full season as coach, and he was given Gardner Minshew as his starting quarterback. What could go wrong there? Las Vegas is 4-12, and Pierce botched some game-management situations (the Chiefs say thank you, coach). With Tom Brady involved in ownership here, you can expect Pierce to be jobless real soon. If the Raiders are going to start over with a new quarterback—Aidan O’Connell is the in-house option—they need to also have a new coach.
Mike McCarthy, Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy appears to be safe from an in-season move by owner Jerry Jones. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images This promises to be quite the circus with McCarthy’s contract expiring mid-month and owner Jerry Jones waffling on whether or not to keep him. McCarthy can think about his possible next stop—Jets? Giants? Saints? Colts?—and use it as leverage. Of course, Dallas went 12-5 and reached the playoffs three times under McCarthy when Dak Prescott was healthy. They had losing records in McCarthy’s other two seasons, including 7-9 so far this season.
Shane Steichen, Colts
Dec 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen prior to a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images His second season could be his final one, as owner Jim Irsay has never been known for patience. That gamble where the Colts took Anthony Richardson fourth overall in the 2023 draft has been a disaster. There’s a better chance of Richardson hitting a fan in the stands with the ball than a Colts receiver with that inaccurate arm of his. The real problem for Steichen is being eliminated from the playoffs by the lowly Giants, who were averaging 14.3 points and put 45 on the board. A loss Sunday to go 7-10 should secure his exit.
Jerod Mayo, Patriots
Oct 8, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium. credits: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports Firing a coach after one season seldom seems fair, but here is what happens if New England keeps Mayo: They win four or fewer games in 2025. His 3-13 mark is brutal, and the Patriots bring a six-game losing streak into Sunday’s finale. Of course, owner Robert Kraft might feel embarrassed to have to fire Mayo after last January’s awkward parting of the ways with Bill Belichick. But Mayo isn’t your long-term coach if the New England winning tradition is to return. Great defensive mind, shaky head coach.
Kevin Stefanski, Browns
May 14, 2021; Berea, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski (left) watches camp with general manager Andrew Berry during rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Cleveland sits 3-13 and is stumbling down the stretch with five losses, so Stefanski should be nervous about his cell phone ringing Monday. He’s a two-time NFL Coach of the Year for a franchise that has been pretty bad over the last quarter of a century. The $230 million Deshaun Watson mistake has chopped the legs out from under this franchise. Perhaps Stefanski would like a change of scenery too.
Real long shots but worth mentioning: Zac Taylor (Bengals), Kyle Shanahan (49ers)
Coaches fired during the season: Robert Saleh (Jets), Dennis Allen (Saints), Matt Eberflus (Bears)
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