ESPN: 'Expectation' is More Than 5 NFL Head Coaches Will be Fired This Season

It is not a particularly good time to be an NFL head coach.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the "expectation" around the league is that more coaches will be fired than last season's total of five.

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus has the hottest seat at the moment. The Bears are a paltry 3-17 over the course of his tenure, and Justin Fields has shown no progress developing into a quality NFL quarterback.

Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley likely would have been right next to Eberflus at the top of the hot-seat rankings if it weren't for last week's narrow win over the Minnesota Vikings. Staley almost certainly won't keep his job if the Chargers fail to make the playoffs—particularly after the team hired Kellen Moore to transform the offense.

Additional coaches will find themselves on the hot seat as the season progresses, but three weeks into the 2023 campaign, it's far too early to have a grasp on fan dissatisfaction.

Ron Rivera looked to have a warming seat in Washington, but the Commanders are off to a 2-1 start. If they continue competing for a playoff spot, Rivera likely gets another season; if the team starts playing down to its talent level, he'll find himself out of a job as new ownership looks to make its mark.

The Las Vegas Raiders could be two-and-out with Josh McDaniels as well. McDaniels is 7-13 since taking over a team that made the playoffs despite Jon Gruden's midseason departure in 2021.