7 NFL Coaches On The Hot Seat After Week 7

At this point in the NFL season, it’s pretty clear which teams have what it takes to contend for a Super Bowl and which ones don’t really have anything left to play for even though there’s technically still a chance they can punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Robert Saleh is still the only head coach who’s been dismissed so far this season, but as things currently stand, it’s safe to assume some other guys will end up meeting the same fate by the time the campaign comes to an end.

There’s no telling how long the coaches on this list are going to hang around, but all signs point to their tenures coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Doug Pederson—Jaguars

Doug Pederson and the Jaguars got a win over the Patriots in London to “improve” to 2-5, and while the head coach might have bought himself a little bit of time, the victory is probably just delaying the inevitable.

Pederson posted a 9-8 record in each of his first two seasons in Jacksonville, but it’s very, very hard to imagine the team is going to come close to reaching that mark this year.

Is there a chance he could save his job with an unlikely turnaround? Possibly, but barring a miraculous run that ends with the Jaguars in the playoffs, I don’t see him getting another shot.

Kevin Stefanski—Browns

The Browns dropped to 1-6 with a loss to the Bengals in a game where Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, and recent history suggests the loss of that starting QB might be the ultimate blessing in disguise.

With that said, Joe Flacco isn’t waiting in the wings in Cleveland like he was last season, and I’m very skeptical Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Jameis Winston are going to emerge as the same kind of savior.

There’s a chance Stefanski can convince the powers that be that his QB woes are the primary reason the Browns are down as bad as they are, but I’m not sure they’re going to buy that excuse.

Dennis Allen-Saints

It looked like the Saints were going to defy expectations after getting off to a 2-0 start, but they’re currently in the midst of a five-game skid following a lopsided loss to Sean Payton and the Broncos.

Dennis Allen has posted an 18-23 record since taking over in New Orleans, and while his defensive prowess was supposed to be one of his biggest assets, the Saints have looked pretty pathetic on that front.

At this point, I think it’s playoffs for bust for Allen, and he hasn’t shown he has what it takes to get there.

Brian Daboll—Giants

The Eagles were slight favorites to beat the Giants on Sunday, but anyone who picked Philadelphia to cover the 3-point spread didn’t have to stress too much while seeing them coast to a 28-3 victory where Saquon Barkley embarrassed his former team.

The Giants are now sitting at 2-5, and Brian Daboll has still failed to prove he has what it takes to helm a team that’s gone 17-23-1 since he took over in 2022.

Mike McCarthy—Cowboys

The Cowboys had a much-needed bye in the wake of their 47-9 shellacking at the hands of the Lions, but I’m not going to give Mike McCarthy the week off from this list.

There’s virtually no chance Jerry Jones decides to fire McCarthy before the end of the season, but there’s also virtually no chance he brings him back for another one if he can’t bring a Super Bowl to Dallas—which doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards based on how the Cowboys have looked.

Zac Taylor—Bengals

The Bengals got a much-needed win over the Browns, but I’d argue Cincinnati would have been more than justified in immediately kicking Zac Taylor to the curb if they hadn’t come out of the game with a win.

The Bengals are trending in the right direction after winning three of their last four games following an 0-3  start, so while I think Taylor’s job is safe if they end up making the playoffs, he has to be feeling some heat.

Jerod Mayo—Patriots

I’m very hesitant to put a first-year head coach on Hot Seat Watch, but I think Jerod Mayo deserves to be mentioned due to the nature of New England’s loss to the hapless Jaguars.

The Patriots are 1-6, and Mayo’s decision to label his team “soft” after the Jacksonville game is simply an indictment of his abilities as head coach.

I do think he’ll end up getting at least one more season to try to prove he has what it takes to be a head coach in the NFL, but the Patriots look like one of the worst teams in the league and there’s little reason to believe that’s going to change in the coming months.