The New York Jets stunned NFL followers by firing head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, two days after his team fell to 2-3 in a 23-17 loss in London to the Minnesota Vikings.
Saleh, a well-respected defensive mind, was in his fourth season with the Jets. He had a 20-36 record, going 4-13 in 2021 followed by two 7-10 campaigns. Hope was not yet lost for the Jets this year, though, especially after they played all but four snaps last season without quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But team owner Woody Johnson believed a change in Week 6 was required to save the season and named defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich the interim coach.
Saleh is unlikely to be the only coach fired at some point this season. So who might be next? Here’s a look at six coaches who also could be on the hot seat.
Pederson, who in February 2018 guided the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history, was supposed to bring similar success to Jacksonville. And he was supposed to help quarterback Trevor Lawrence achieve his full potential as a game-changing quarterback. But Lawrence, like the rest of the Jaguars, has sorely underachieved since the midpoint of last season. Pederson’s squad is no closer to contention than when he took over in 2022.
Jacksonville needed a win in the worst way Sunday and got it, snapping a four-game losing streak by beating the Indianapolis Colts 37-34. Now the Jags head to their home away from home, London, to face the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks. The reprieve from the win over the Colts will not last long. Jacksonville needs a victorious trip abroad. If the Jaguars have an embarrassing pair of games in London, Pederson is no lock to remain at the helm when they return to Florida.
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Jets’ Saleh third NFL coach fired after London loss
It’s certainly not Stefanski’s fault that Cleveland’s brass sold their souls for a can’t-get-right Deshaun Watson. And it’s not his fault that injuries have decimated the Browns’ offensive line while also hitting some key defensive players hard. But at some point, something has to give for this 1-4 team.
Stefanski continues to stick with Watson, although it’s unclear if that’s because of an edict from above or because he truly believes the quarterback has some magic from his Houston Texans days left in him. So, for now, Stefanski must figure out how to make this work. He displayed flexibility and creativity while positioning Joe Flacco for success during last year’s playoff push. Now he must do the same to ease on-field pressure on Watson for increased productivity. A healthier run-pass balance could help, even if that means using Watson on some designed runs. Speeding up Watson’s tempo with more short passes also could help.
But if Stefanski can’t recognize the need for change and come up with the necessary adjustments, his bosses could look elsewhere for answers.
Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
After last year’s slide from a 10-1 start to 11-6 finish, the Eagles looked to rebound authoritatively this season. Instead, Sirianni has yet to figure out how to get things back on track. Injuries to top wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and right tackle Lane Johnson have certainly hampered the Eagles’ efforts. But quarterback Jalen Hurts hasn’t managed to rediscover the consistency and dominance he displayed during his team’s march to the Super Bowl during the 2022 season.
Sirianni changed offensive and defensive coordinators this offseason, but thus far, the Eagles have disappointed on both sides of the ball. Following an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay two weeks ago, Sirianni blamed himself for failing to adequately prepare his team. The Eagles hope the once highly regarded Sirianni, who’s 43, can figure out how to promptly turn things around. He can’t afford a second straight disappointing season.
If GM Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie fired Pederson just three seasons after his Super Bowl victory, how much leeway is there for Sirianni, whose team blew a third-quarter lead and lost 38-35 to the Chiefs in its Super Bowl appearance?
Brian Daboll may need more wins like Sunday’s over the Seahawks to keep his job. (Luke Johnson / Imagn Images)
The Giants used the sixth pick of the 2019 draft on quarterback Daniel Jones, only to watch him flounder. Three years later, they hired Daboll, hoping he could work the same magic with Jones that he performed with Josh Allen as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator.
However, three seasons in, Jones remains significantly limited and the Giants rank among the lowliest teams in the league. Daboll’s team exceeded expectations in Year 1, going 9-7-1 and sneaking into the playoffs. But the Giants then regressed, going 6-11 last season, and those struggles have carried over into this season. Talent deficiencies are partly to blame. But the lack of progress from Jones, and a lack of improvement along an offensive line the front office has worked to upgrade, are among the damning strikes against Daboll.
New York upset the Seattle Seahawks last week, but the prospects for a dramatic turnaround appear unlikely, and that could prove costly for the coach.
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears (3-2)
For now, Eberflus’ Bears are showing some life. They have won back-to-back games (against the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers) and now head to London to face the Jaguars. It appears that Caleb Williams’ coaches finally are figuring out how to better support him by using more balance to lighten his load and keep defenses off balance.
However, after going 10-24 in his first two seasons, Eberflus remains on shaky ground.
Because of a daunting stretch from Weeks 11 to 16 that includes five divisional games, Chicago needs to keep building momentum while banking some wins against Jacksonville, Washington, Arizona and New England. If signs of improvement don’t continue, Bears officials could opt for a change this offseason.
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The 20-17 scratch-and-claw victory Sunday night over the Pittsburgh Steelers was much-needed for the Cowboys and coach Mike McCarthy. Jerry Jones thinks he has a Super Bowl contender on his hands, yet he doesn’t appear nearly as confident in his head coach, who does not have a contract beyond this season.
At 3-2, the Cowboys remain in the thick of things. But if the offense continues to sputter, and if Dallas can’t survive this tough upcoming stretch against Detroit, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston and Washington, the temperature of McCarthy’s seat certainly will rise. Jones may not pull the plug midseason, because that’s not his style. A poor showing during this stretch, though, might nix McCarthy’s chances of landing an extension this offseason.
(Top photos of Kevin Stefanski and Nick Sirianni: Patrick Smith and Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images)