It took just five weeks into the NFL season for the coaching carousel to get underway. The New York Jets decided they have seen enough, and fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start to the campaign. With Aaron Rodgers and a top defense in tow, the Jets felt it necessary to move on from Saleh with the division race still in reach. The drastic move puts several other coaches under a microscope. Who could be next? As we head into Week 6, here are four coaches who could find themselves on the chopping block:
Doug Pederson, Jaguars
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The Jaguars finally got their first win of the season last Sunday, but one victory isn’t enough to get their coach off the hot seat. Pederson entered the year on thin ice after a disastrous end to the 2023 season. Jacksonville was 8-3 and leading the AFC South, only to lose five of their last six games and miss the postseason entirely. Four straight losses to kick off ’24 seemed like it could be enough for Pederson to be let go. He was partly brought on for his ability to mentor quarterbacks, but Jags QB Trevor Lawrence has played some of his worst football lately. Things looked better in Week 5 — Lawrence threw for a season-high 371 yards — but the Jaguars barely escaped with a win over a Colts team missing their starting QB and RB. It’s only a matter of time until Jacksonville searches for its new coach.
Dennis Allen, Saints
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All numbers indicate that Dennis Allen isn’t a good head coach. He’s 26-49 over five-plus seasons. His only winning season was a 9-8 campaign last year against the weakest schedule in the league. The Saints started hot in ’24 but have cooled considerably with three straight losses. Week 5’s Monday night showing was a poor effort. Going up against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Saints failed to execute on either side of the ball. Allen’s defense surrendered 130 yards to JuJu Smith-Schuster and 117 yards to Kareem Hunt. Allen’s hand-picked QB, Derek Carr, has regressed badly and is now hurt. If Allen is ousted, they could give OC Klint Kubiak a chance in the interim role. Kubiak’s offense has been quiet over the last few weeks, but shifting to an offensive-minded coach might be the best move for the stagnant Saints.
Nick Sirianni, Eagles
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It will be interesting to see how the Eagles look coming out of their bye week. A close victory over the Saints may have saved his job for a couple of weeks. But, the Eagles followed that win with a dismal performance against the Buccaneers in Week 4. Their next four games are against teams with losing records (Browns, Giants, Bengals, and Jaguars). Injuries can be blamed for the offense’s poor start. Getting AJ Brown back in the lineup will certainly help in that department. But, if things don’t change quickly, changes will be made. They swapped out both coordinators in the offseason and Sirianni is running out of scapegoats.
Zac Taylor, Bengals
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There’s a tier break right here. Pederson, Allen, and Sirianni are firmly ahead of the pack. A handful of coaches could join that trio if things don’t turn around quickly. If we’re looking at teams that are struggling so far, Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor is the one with the least amount of excuses. The Week 1 loss to the Patriots was a rough way to start the season. And, the Bengals are familiar with starting slow under Taylor. They’re still just two games out of the AFC North lead, but just dropped a winnable game to the division-leading Ravens. The defense has given up more points than any team in the conference. Cincinnati has three straight winning seasons but has failed to live up to expectations after that Super Bowl run in 2022.
