2024 NFL Hot Seat: NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat

Last year’s coaching carousel discarded seven NFL head coaches for the following teams: the Chargers, Patriots, Titans, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks and Commanders. 

Additionally, the Raiders elected to retain interim head coach Antonio Pierce after firing Josh McDaniels midseason. 

Which coaches could lose their jobs in 2024? Here’s a look at the current coaches on the hot seat.

NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat

Dennis Allen – Saints

Allen enters his third season with the Saints and has produced mediocre results in his first two campaigns.

Owner Mickey Loomis needed to affirm his confidence following a 7-10 season in 2022, which doesn’t inspire much confidence in Allen’s long-term security.

The Saints finished 9-8 in 2023 but missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

Based on NFL betting lines, New Orleans is projected to finish third in the NFC South this year. Another missed postseason could doom Allen this offseason.

Mike McCarthy – Cowboys

The Cowboys’ identity of “dominate the regular season, exit the postseason early” continued in 2023.

Dallas won the NFC East and earned the second seed in the NFC, but the Packers blew them out in the wild card round.

This offseason proved more about Dallas’ losses than additions. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, along with a number of defensive pieces, left in favor of the Commanders.

With decisions on the futures of CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons looming, another underachieving season could indicate the end of McCarthy’s tenure.

Mike Tomlin – Steelers

If the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t want Mike Tomlin leading a mini rebuild, he presumably would have been fired after the 2021 season.

But Tomlin stayed, and he guided the Steelers to a 10-7 season and postseason berth in 2023. It also marked Tomlin’s 17th straight season at or above .500.

But at what point does that patience run out?

The Steelers are favorites to finish last in the division and miss the playoffs this season. They also face the league’s hardest schedule based on opponent win totals in 2024.

With the odds stacked against the Steelers, a losing season could see the Rooney family elect for a change at the helm.

Robert Saleh – Jets

The Jets’ 2023 season was marred by Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tear in Week 1, so it’s understandable that Jets retained Saleh.

To date, the Jets haven’t enjoyed much success under Saleh. In three prior seasons, the former 49ers defensive coordinator has an 18-33 SU record.

This season, the Jets face the fourth-easiest strength of schedule and are one of only two teams +2000 or shorter in the Super Bowl odds that missed the playoffs last season and no one is predicting them to win the Super Bowl.

If the Jets keep all their key pieces healthy this year and disappoint, the blame could fall to Saleh. He’s also entering the fourth year of a five-year contract with New York, which hasn’t made the postseason since 2010.