The 2024 NFL Season is quickly approaching. Let's dive into three head coaches who are very much on the hot seat heading into the new year.
There are numerous head coach openings every season, and some teams have to make a radical move like parting ways with a head coach mid-season. In most instances, though, they move on from their head coach at the end of the season.
There are a handful of head coaches who are already on the hot seat entering the 2024 NFL Season. Let's look at the top three.
These 3 head coaches are on the hot seat heading into the 2024 NFL Season
Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Arguably the worst head coach in the NFL, Dennis Allen has to be firmly on the hot seat for the 2024 NFL Season. He's just simply not a good head coach, but has had some excellent years as the Saints defensive coordinator. When Sean Payton decided to retire for a year, Allen was elevated to the HC role, and it's not been great.
The Saints somehow had a top-10 scoring offense and defense in 2023, yet finished just 9-8 and missed the postseason. Some of that blame does go on QB Derek Carr, who is just average at best, but there isn't anything to latch onto with a Dennis Allen-led team.
I personally do not believe that Allen would get fired during the regular season, but I can see the two sides parting ways next offseason if it's another disappointing year.
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Just 10 wins in two seasons, Matt Eberflus is surely on the hot seat entering 2024. Now yes, the Bears did end up winning seven games in 2023, which was a huge improvement over the previous season, but there has got to be more progress on the field, as the Bears are all of a sudden one of the more talented teams in the NFL.
The team also drafted Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, and Williams has largely been seen as generational prospect. There is a good shot that Williams can have immediate success as a rookie, but at the end of the day, Eberflus is the guy who is running the show, and the Bears will go as he goes. A mid-season firing could definitely happen if the Bears aren't showing progress in 2024.
Frankly, this team is good enough to sneak into the Wild Card, so there is a mountain of pressure on the shoulders of Matt Eberflus.
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
How is Sean McDermott not on the hot seat? This is a coach who has seemed to maxed himself out in Buffalo. The Bills have been good for years under his tenure, but they have hit a ceiling when the playoffs roll around, and McDermott being a more veteran defensive mind could end up paving the way for a younger, more adaptable offensive head coach to unlock the full potential of this team.
McDermott is 73-41 in the regular season but just 5-6 in the playoffs. Something has to change, right? The Bills simply cannot keep this trend up where they win 11-13 games and fizzle out in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Some people also think that Josh Allen is an elite QB, so perhaps bringing in a coach with a higher ceiling can help push Allen and the offense over the edge. A mid-season firing might not be likely, but if the Bills again have a similar season in 2024 as they have had in previous years, a mutual parting of ways could be on the horizon.