NFL coaching hot seat: Who's under pressure down the stretch?

Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen have already been fired this year, and more NFL head coaches are in danger of losing their jobs as teams head into the season's final stretch.

Here are other coaches with questions regarding their future:

Doug Pederson, Jaguars

Pederson's seat is almost too hot to include in this list. The Jaguars reportedly began considering big changes to their coaching staff two weeks ago, but Pederson somehow survived a 52-7 loss to the Detroit Lions. Jacksonville then had a bye, which gave Pederson at least a few more days.

It still feels like it's a matter of when, not if, Jacksonville will dismiss its head coach. The Jaguars are 2-9 and underachieving on both sides of the ball. The offense was supposed to be its biggest strength with Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence in charge, but it continues to regress while posting its worst season since 2021 with Urban Meyer. Helping Lawrence was the X-factor for Pederson and coordinator Press Taylor when they got the job in 2022, and the Jaguars' offense is in the bottom 10 in EPA/play this year. A change on the sideline is the best option for the franchise. Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (out of five)

Mike McCarthy, Cowboys

Jerry Jones has been patient with his most recent coaches, but it's clear McCarthy isn't the answer for the 4-7 Cowboys, who were on a five-game losing streak before pulling a dramatic upset over Washington. Granted, the team had terrible injury luck, but McCarthy's outfit didn't look great even before it ruled out quarterback Dak Prescott for the remainder of the season. Recent comments from some players, including Micah Parsons, also suggest McCarthy doesn't have full support in the locker room.

McCarthy, who's in his contract year, has posted a 46-32 overall record with Dallas, but he's only 1-3 in the playoffs. The fact that Jones didn't extend the 61-year-old in the offseason basically made 2024 a make-or-break campaign for McCarthy. He hasn't passed the test. Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Antonio Pierce, Raiders

Two main factors determined why the Raiders picked Pierce for the Raiders' permanent head coaching job: he had the support of key Las Vegas players, and he helped the defense improve significantly in nine games as the interim sideline boss in 2023. However, that's changed. Multiple Raiders players reportedly voiced their concerns with coaches in a recent team meeting, and the club's defense is 29th in points allowed.

The 2-9 Raiders, limited by an unimpressive QB room, have shown no improvements offensively. Pierce's game management and in-game decisions have been brutal to watch. He's responsible for the most questionable fourth-down decision of the season. Pierce has already changed his offensive coordinator in 2024, and no one should be surprised if the Raiders - who now have Tom Brady and Richard Seymour helping with football decisions - change their head coach next. Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Matt Eberflus, Bears

Eberflus went 10-24 in his first two seasons but received another chance this year after the Bears drafted Caleb Williams first overall. However, Eberflus' staff is failing the rookie QB. The head coach, looking for a desperate answer and to potentially save his job, even fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after nine games this campaign. The club is three games below .500 with six weeks left.

Williams' development is key for the Bears moving forward, and Eberflus hasn't proved he's the right guy to help the promising passer become a star. Williams looked good Sunday but hadn't accounted for a single touchdown in his previous four games. Receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and rookie Rome Odunze have also underachieved. Chicago's defense - Eberflus' area of expertise - improved in 2024, but probably not enough to save his job. Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Brian Daboll, Giants

Yes, Giants owner John Mara said he expects Daboll to return in 2025, but this situation might be unfixable after Sunday. New York looked awful in a 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that dropped the team to 2-9 this season and 8-20 since making the playoffs in 2022, Daboll's first year in town.

The recent defeat was also N.Y.'s first game since releasing Daniel Jones, which shows that the Giants' issues under Daboll go beyond the oft-criticized quarterback's struggles. Just ask rookie receiver Malik Nabers. New York ranks dead last in points scored, and Daboll doesn't seem ready to put his team back on the right track anytime soon. It looks like the Giants will be in a position to draft a top QB prospect in 2025, so bringing in a new sideline boss may not be a bad idea. Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥​​​​​​🔥

Dave Canales, Panthers

Carolina's 3-8 record doesn't look great on Canales. But let's be honest, no one expected this team to have a winning mark at this point. The Panthers actually won two games in a row before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs by only three points, with Bryce Young posting his highest passer rating of the season (92.9) in the loss.

Young's development is the biggest challenge for Canales. The 2023 No. 1 pick had a slow start to the season and was benched early on. Young is now the starter again and has shown improvement. Young's and Canales' progressions remain a work in progress, but giving Canales another year to prove he's the right guy for the rebuilding Panthers with a better supporting cast makes sense. Thermometer: 🔥

Kevin Stefanski, Browns

Stefanski's job security becoming a topic may come as a surprise given he just won the 2023 Coach of the Year award. But that's the NFL. Cleveland won just two of its first 10 games before claiming a thrilling win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. His seat was certainly getting warmer, but beating an archrival in prime time should give Stefanski extra life. There's also the Deshaun Watson factor.

Watson's poor play is the biggest reason behind the Browns' 3-8 record. His replacement, Jameis Winston, is 2-2 since Watson suffered a season-ending injury. Granted, the team has other issues that Stefanski and his staff haven't been able to fix, such as the O-line's struggles and an inconsistent running game. But it was Watson who held Cleveland back, not Stefanski. The 42-year-old coach is 40-38 with two playoff appearances in almost five seasons with the Browns. Barring a disastrous December, expect Stefanski to stay for another year. Thermometer: 🔥🔥

Zac Taylor, Bengals

A team with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase having career years shouldn't be in danger of missing the playoffs, and that's where the 4-7 Bengals are. Taylor's outfit hasn't been able to finish games, with six of its seven losses being one-score defeats. The main issue? Taylor and his staff should have an answer, according to Chase.

The Bengals are piling up frustrating moments, going from their kicker missing two fourth-quarter field goals to producing an inefficient running game to struggling in the trenches. Even Cincinnati's four wins came against teams closer to getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft than making the playoffs.

Taylor joined the Bengals in 2019, and his seat was scalding hot after he went 6-25-1 in his first two seasons. He then helped Cincinnati make a Super Bowl and an AFC title game appearance before posting a 9-8 record last year despite having Burrow in only 10 games. The current Bengals core has shown it's talented enough to make a playoff run. It'll be interesting to see how this team responds after its bye week. Things aren't working in the club's favor, and Taylor is the fall guy here. Is this it for him in Cincy? Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥

Jerod Mayo, Patriots

It'd be surprising if New England moved on from Mayo, but he'll leave his first year as an NFL head coach with more questions than answers. No one expected the rebuilding Patriots and their flawed roster to contend right away after parting with Bill Belichick. However, the team's inability to maximize its talents and develop young players is concerning. So is the lack of discipline on the field. Mayo's outfit is 3-9 with a minus-85 point differential while committing the sixth-most penalties in the league.

Mayo's situation in New England can change quickly as long as the Pats don't fail Drake Maye. The 2024 No. 3 overall pick didn't begin his rookie year as the starter but has flashed his potential since becoming QB1 in October. Maye's progress should be Mayo's top priority in what will likely be a make-or-break 2025 campaign for the sideline boss. Thermometer: 🔥🔥