NFL Coaching Hot Seat: Who Could Be Fired Next After Josh McDaniels' Exit?

The Las Vegas Raiders didn't buy or sell at the NFL's trade deadline, though the franchise did make a franchise-altering move in its aftermath.

The Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler on Tuesday night, just 21 months after hiring the duo to lead the franchise. Owner Mark Davis, in a series of late-night posts on X, formerly Twitter, announced that linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will take over as interim coach, while assistant general manager Champ Kelly will be elevated to the top role on an interim basis.

A "comprehensive search" for both a coach and GM will take place after the season, Davis said.

"After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave," Davis said in a statement. "I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best."

The slew of firings, which also reportedly includes offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi, comes after a 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. Las Vegas is 3-5 and on a two-game losing skid. The Raiders previously lost to the Chicago Bears despite facing a rookie QB out of a Division II school, Tyson Bagent, in his first start.

Las Vegas has the 30th-ranked scoring offense in the NFL and a defense that hasn't fared much better. Stars Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs have voiced their frustrations as of late, with the latter stating it wasn't his job to fix the Raiders' offense.

Now, it isn't McDaniels' either.

The former Patriots offensive coordinator inherited a 10-7 Raiders team that went to the playoffs in 2021 but finished 9-16 in less than two seasons. The former Broncos head coach became the first non-interim coach in the Super Bowl era to be fired by two franchises before the end of his second season, according to ESPN.

McDaniels is the first head coach to be fired this NFL season. Which coaches on the hot seat might be next? Here's a look at a few options.

Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears

The start to Eberflus' second season leading the Bears was a rocky one, to say the least.

Chicago started 0-4, bringing the franchise's losing streak up to 14 games dating back to last season. And things weren't much better off the field. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams suddenly resigned, drama surrounding wide receiver Chase Claypool surfaced nearly every week before he was eventually traded, and quarterback Justin Fields had to back-track comments about the team's coaching staff.

Things have been slightly better in Chicago of late. The Bears are 2-2 in their last four games, including beating the Raiders with Bagent under center while Fields recovers from a dislocated right thumb. Chicago, a franchise that has never fired a head coach during a season, may give Eberflus some leeway considering Fields' status.

But Eberflus is 5-20 in his Chicago coaching stint, and the Bears are slated to have two of the top picks in next year's NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Poles could start things fresh in Chicago before the season winds down.

Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders

Rivera is in his fourth season in Washington, but the Commanders have never finished above .500 under his leadership. That doesn't seem likely to change this year.

After a 2-0 start to the season, Washington sits at 3-5 heading into Week 9 and has lost five of its last six games. The Commanders dropped contests to the underachieving Bears (2-6) and New York Giants (2-6) during that stretch. Rivera's team managed to keep in close against the 7-1 Philadelphia Eagles last week before inevitably losing, 38-31.

"Disappointed," Rivera, who faced scrutiny for not challenging a key Eagles fourth-down play in the second half, said Sunday. "These guys came out and played hard. We gave ourselves opportunities and we missed some opportunities, and we just have to go back and take a look at it and see why."

If Washington's activity at the trade deadline was any indication, the franchise's new ownership group is ready to look toward the future rather than try and make a playoff push. The Commanders traded standout defensive linemen Montez Sweat and Chase Young for draft picks on Tuesday. Rivera will be down two of his better players while coaching for his job.

Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers

Staley's time in Los Angeles has been frustrating for Chargers fans.

Despite having Justin Herbert at QB and plenty of Pro Bowlers throughout the roster, Staley is only 22-19 in 2.5 seasons leading the team. After just missing out on the playoff in Staley's first campaign, the Chargers earned a Wild Card berth a year ago—only to end up blowing a 27-0 lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round.

A 2-4 start to this season start wasn't helping Staley's job security. Late leads have been squandered, a theme under Staley, and the former defensive coordinator's unit ranks 24th in points allowed and last in passing yards given up this season. A 30-13 win over the Bears in Week 8 has the Chargers at 3-4 and feeling like things are starting to come together.

"I think so," Staley said postgame when asked if this was his team's most complete performance of the season. "I thought that's [what] we were in search of was to feel that complete game where you're feeding off each other and the levels are high the whole way."

But Los Angeles faces off against a team with a winning record in three out of the next four weeks. The Chargers don't have much margin for error if they want to get back into the playoff race. If a few more losses stack up, maybe Los Angeles follows the lead of their AFC West rival and starts over at head coach.