As the regular season winds down, teams with squandered playoff hopes will begin to evaluate their coaching situation. In 2023, the only coach to be fired was Kliff Kingsbury, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals. That season, the Cardinals finished 4-13 and 4th in the NFC West.
A handful of head coaches have already been let go from their positions this season. This list includes the Las Vega Raiders’’ Josh McDaniels, Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Carolina Panthers’ Frank Reich. With North Carolina sports betting going live very soon, Carolina hopeful will be patiently waiting for the announcement of their new head coach!
Let’s take a look at a few coaches that could be looking for a job on Monday Night.
Ron Rivera – Washington Commanders
Riverboat Ron’s exit from Washington is all but solidified. He won’t be the only decision-maker to be relieved of their duties this season, either. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was let go from the team at the end of November, and for good reason. The Commanders’ defense is one of the worst defensive units in the league, allowing the 2nd most yards per play and the most points per game with 30. As you can see here, the Commanders’ defense allowed the highest EPA/play on defense this season, further showing the inefficiencies of this defense.
Ron’s exit allows Josh Harris to hire a new coach and turn over a new leaf. Washington is projected to have a top pick in the 2024 draft, and that pick could be as high as #2.
Robert Saleh – New York Jets
You may look at the Jets’ lack of success over the last two years and figure that Saleh’s time is up. However, when you add context to the Jets’ 2023 campaign, it is extremely easy to cut Saleh some slack. New York was supposed to have a generational talent at QB in Aaron Rodgers, and when he went down with an Achilles tear in Week 1 you couldn’t help but feel that Saleh was playing with house money. Everyone saw how the 2022 campaign went with Wilson at quarterback, and I don’t think much more was expected from Saleh this year.
When you add in the aforementioned context, it is easy to give Saleh the benefit of the doubt. If you need any more assurance about Saleh’s return, Jets owner Woody Johnson confirmed that Saleh would return for the 2024 campaign.
Bill Belichick – New England Patriots
There is no questioning Bill Belichick’s legacy in the state of Massachusetts. Whether you want to talk about his 6 Super Bowl wins as a head coach, his 12 Super Bowl appearances, or 17 divisional championships, there is plenty to admire about the coaching juggernaut.
However, in recent years we have seen Belichick’s results take a steep decline. Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston reported that Robert Kraft decided after their loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany, that Belichick would not be back next season. This would mark an end to Belichick’s dynasty in New England. Would another team want to bring him on in a head coaching capacity? Only time will tell.
Arthur Smith – Atlanta Falcons
There is a good chance that at this very moment, Falcons owner Arthur Blank doesn’t know if he will keep Smith as the head coach. If the Falcons can squeak out a win against the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers upset the Tampa Buccaneers, Atlanta finds themselves as the NFC South Champions and are in the playoffs. This decision could come down to whether the Falcons beat the Saints or not.
Arthur Blank has historically shown patience in dealing with head coaches (with an exception in 2020). No matter what decision is made, I would not be surprised with either. It has been a bit of a quarterback experiment this season for the Falcons, and that point may work out in Smith’s favor.
Mike Vrabel – Tennessee Titans
Vrabel was extremely slow to give rookie quarterback Will Levis his flowers after a 4 touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons in week 7. The Titans hired GM Ran Carthon last offseason, and while this is all speculation, it doesn’t seem that the two are seeing eye to eye on many things. Tannehill and Willis seem to be Vrabel’s guys while Levis was the first quarterback drafted under the Carthon regime.
Vrabel had success with this Tennessee team in 2019, upsetting the #1 seed Baltimore Ravens. He also had playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021, although both appearances ended in exits after just one game.
How Many Coaches Will Realistically Get Fired on Black Monday?
Going back to 2021, only 6 head coaches have been fired on Black Monday. The reality of more than two or three coaches getting fired on Black Monday is slim, but there are sure to be other firings in the following days. While you can’t wager on which coaches you think wil get fired, you can bet on who you think will win the Super Bowl or their conference. Check out our FanDuel promo code and get in on the action today.
