Nick Sirianni is among the seven notifications

As completely premature and unfair as it often seems to discuss NFL head coaching job security ahead of any given season, Tuesday was the latest stark reminder that profound change is a constant throughout the ever-changing news cycle League draws.

With 12 games left in the 2024 regular season, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson still decided to cut Robert Saleh after more than three seasons and a 20-36 record, putting his faith in his rapidly fading Super Bowl hopes his franchise Jeff Ulbrich — a linebacker for 10 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers who has extensive experience as an NFL defensive coordinator but none as a head coach — and perhaps, to some extent, QB Aaron Rodgers.

Whether Ulbrich (and Rodgers) can get this team together and in the air like Maverick Mitchell can with a rickety F-14 remains to be seen. What is almost undoubtedly true is that Saleh is only the first of probably at least half a dozen HC dismissals, if recent history is any indicator.

Here are seven coaches, ordered alphabetically, whose butts could be a little warmer now that the first hot seat of 2024 has already been vacated:

Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints

Perhaps no one can empathize with Saleh better. Allen’s team (Krewe?) got off to a roaring 2-0 start, scoring 91 points in the first two games under new OC Klint Kubiak. But since he’s come back down to earth – and stopped winning – Derek Carr’s recent oblique injury joins Allen’s list of quarterback problems with the post-Drew Brees Saints. Now the team’s fortunes appear to be tied, at least temporarily, to de facto rookie QB Jake Haener or actual rookie Spencer Rattler. Maybe one of them will catch lightning in a bottle. Perhaps Carr will return sooner than expected and recapture the early season offensive voodoo. And perhaps none of that will happen, and Allen’s (current) career record of 26-49 years as a coach will lead to the seemingly inevitable conclusion in “The Big Easy.”

Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers

It seems patently unfair to add pressure to a rookie head coach five games into his tenure. But Canales, who had a pretty ugly 1-4 record so far, was brought to Charlotte primarily to replace second-rounder Bryce Young…but instead he had to bench him after just two starts. Canales may be doing everything he can and may even be pushing the right buttons despite being dealt a weak hand. But that may not be enough considering he works for trigger-happy owner David Tepper, who has employed seven coaches (interim coaches included) since the start of the 2019 season.

Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys

Perhaps no team in sports can experience the many ups and downs – real and imagined – in a five-week period the way “America’s Team” does time and time again. Frankly, given the lengthy contract issues and heavy personnel losses his team endured during owner Jerry Jones’ self-proclaimed “all-in” offseason, McCarthy probably deserves credit for leading the Cowboys to a 3-2 record . Still, there doesn’t seem to be much doubt that the 2024 Cowboys aren’t operating with the same level of talent as teams that have won 12 games each of the past three years. Injuries to defensive stars Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and DaRon Bland certainly don’t help, nor does a schedule that features the Lions, 49ers, Falcons, Eagles, Texans and Commanders playing back-to-back. But nothing speaks against McCarthy more than his past inability to end Dallas’ nearly three-decade Super Bowl absence – or even to lead the Cowboys past the divisional round of the playoffs – “failures” only made worse by the fact that he is working on an expiring term contract. All this at a time when Jones can easily move on to a legend like Bill Belichick, another established coach like Mike Vrabel, or any number of highly regarded young coordinators in 2025 if McCarthy ultimately fails to do more with less .

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Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Asked recently – and rightly so – about his job situation during the Jags’ 0-4 start, he seemed both annoyed and dismissive. “My status?” Pederson said. “That’s a strange question, but okay.” Maybe it’s also kind of strange that he also defends the offensive style of play (not to mention his often strange game management) while at the same time focusing on his players’ performance – probably not a good one Sign, considering Shad Khan has recently poured hundreds of millions into the squad Months later, the owner said, “(W)inning – winning now – is an expectation.” Still, Pederson has in Jacksonville’s last 11 games won twice, dating back to last season’s defeat that cost Khan a second straight AFC South title. Now in his eighth season as head coach, Pederson has won as many as 10 regular-season games just once — with the Eagles in 2017 during their flying run to a Super Bowl victory. But magic appears to be extremely scarce in Duval County.

Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders

In the middle of last season he gave the Silver and Black the boost they needed and took a 5-4 lead after Josh McDaniels’ debacle. Pierce then became the fairly rare interim coach to successfully vacate the first part of that title. He’s off to a 2-3 start in 2024, largely hampered by the unsettled quarterback situation that has persisted since the McDaniels regime unceremoniously and clumsily kicked Carr to the side of the road two years ago. But Pierce’s background as a player hasn’t stopped him from pointing the finger at his own boys, some of whom he recently accused of making “business decisions” on the field – and that was before he apparently quickly fell into the fold was dissolution of marriage to All-Pro WR Davante Adams. Does Pierce probably deserve more time to find his feet – and especially with a stabilized QB position? Yes. Is he the Raiders’ fourth coach in the last four seasons? Yes. Circumstances were certainly different, but job security for Pierce’s most recent predecessors has been controversial of late.

Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

He has a 38-22 record in three-plus seasons, has never missed the playoffs and had Philly The just before winning Super Bowl 57. But the spotlight has clearly been on Sirianni since the Eagles’ 10-1 start in 2023 turned into a 1-6 finish that included an embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wildcard involved rounds. It included much of the finger-pointing and slander you’d expect in a drama-filled Philadelphia story, but it also drew increasing attention to the seemingly strained relationship between Sirianni and Jalen Hurts — and the firing of the quarterback with the $50 million commission . An annual salary is rarely the path of least resistance. Injuries and an early loss to RB Saquon Barkley against Atlanta contributed to the Eagles’ lopsided 2-2 start. But if they stumble out of the bye against a quartet of teams that are currently a combined 5-15, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sirianni quickly find himself on the dole list as the man next to Saleh.

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

How does someone who won the league’s Coach of the Year award in 2020 and 2023 rank on this list? Two words: Deshaun and Watson. Stefanski took Cleveland on rare playoff trips in each of these years – although Baker Mayfield and especially Joe Flacco were the quarterbacks most responsible for these teams’ respective success. Watson, now acquired and extended ahead of the 2022 season, was a shell of the player who previously played for the Houston Texans. Whether Stefanski can’t or doesn’t want to move on voluntarily means that this team is in a winless situation – almost literally, given their 1-4 start. And again, Saleh’s firing is a reminder that it’s usually much easier to fire the coach than the quarterback. And while self-sabotage is certainly not a path Stefanski would take, it’s worth wondering whether he should, given the likelihood of this organization remaining financially tied to Watson – and his poor play, general lack of accountability and the albatross of one – ultimately looking for a way out – contract – until spring 2027.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

Nick Sirianni is among the seven notifications

ByJasper

Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints

Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers

Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys

Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders

Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

By Jasper

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