There have already been two head coaches fired by NFL teams this season, and one longtime reporter believes even more changes than usual will be coming over the next several weeks.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said during a Monday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he expects as many as 10 NFL head coaches to be fired heading into 2024. Josh McDaniels was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders a few weeks ago and the Carolina Panthers parted ways with Frank Reich on Monday, but Schefter believes that is just the start.
“Last year I think there were five head coaching changes. If we go back to the turn of the century, it averages 6.8 per year,” Schefter said. “And in two years, you almost always get about 13 or 14. Well, we had five last year. You’re gonna have anywhere, I believe, between seven and 10 head coaching changes.”
Schefter also said the timeline for when teams are willing to make coaching changes has been moved up in recent years.
“I think the timelines on these coaching moves have begun to be blurred more so than ever before, where owners don’t care whether they’re doing it in September or October or November or December,” Schefter added. “It used to be we got past Thanksgiving, now we enter into coach hunting season. The teams that are underachieving, underperforming, not winning games, their coaches are in jeopardy. Last year, again, five changes. This year, seven to 10, and I’ll take the over.”
"I believe we're gonna have anywhere between seven and ten Head Coaching changes this year..
I'll take the over" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/jhUqA2gNL2
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 27, 2023
There have been more bad teams than usual this season in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are tied for the NFC South lead with 5-6 records. It is not all that hard to envision at least six more head coaches losing their jobs, as even some very prominent names are said to be on the hot seat.
Reich was the second coach in two seasons to be fired before he even got through his first year on the job. The Denver Broncos did the same with Nathaniel Hackett last season. Teams have gotten less and less patient with rebuilds in recent years, and that could very well be reflected in the coming weeks.
