While some NFL teams will wait until Black Monday — the day after the end of the regular season — to fire their head coaches, other clubs have gotten a headstart during the campaign. Which NFL head coaches have been fired in 2024?
Note: This article is accurate as of November 29, 2024.
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
On Black Friday, just a few hours after presiding over the disastrous ending to the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Lions, Matt Eberflus was fired as Bears coach.
Eberflus ends his Chicago tenure with a 14-32 regular-season record and no playoff appearances. His .326 winning percentage ranks third-worst in franchise history, ahead of only Abe Gibron (.275, 1972-74) and John Fox (.292, 2015-17).
Eberflus becomes the first coach in the century-plus existence of the Bears to be fired in-season. Thomas Brown takes over as interim coach. Brown was the passing game coordinator until promoted to OC a few weeks ago after the Bears fired Shane Waldron.
Chicago started off the season a promising 4-2 before losing on a Jayden Daniels Hail Mary pass. Nothing has gone right since, as they dropped six straight. No loss hurt as much as Thanksgiving Day as the Bears rallied from a 16-0 deficit and were in FG range to send the game to OT before a series of penalties, a sack, and mismanagement of the last 33 seconds led to a three-point loss and the end of Eberflus’ tenure in Chi-town.
Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
After starting the season 2-0 and scoring 91 points in their first two games, the Saints lost seven straight games and Dennis Allen was relieved of his duties.
In Week 9, the Saints suffered their worst loss of the season. Despite quarterback Derek Carr returning from an oblique injury, New Orleans still couldn’t defeat the lowly Carolina Panthers.
Allen’s defense allowed 23 points to Carolina, including two rushing touchdowns to Chuba Hubbard and a passing score to rookie Xavier Legette. The Panthers and Saints now have the same record (2-7), and Bryce Young picked up his third career win.
According to @AdamSchefter, Saints HC Dennis Allen has been fired.
Allen finishes with the 3rd-worst winning percentage amongst head coaches all-time with .329 (min. 75 games). pic.twitter.com/7ovlAMxlgK
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 4, 2024
Since outscoring opponents 91-29 (+62) during their 2-0 start, the Saints have been outscored 200-116 (-84) during their seven-game losing streak.
Allen finished 18-25 during his three-plus seasons in New Orleans.
Robert Saleh, New York Jets
Robert Saleh became the first NFL head coach to be fired in 2024 when he was let go by the New York Jets on Oct. 8.
Saleh finished his tenure in New York with a 20-36 mark, having failed to achieve a winning record in any of his 3+ seasons in the AFC East.
Hired in 2021 after a successful stint as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Saleh was strapped to No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson for his first two seasons in New York. Despite boasting excellent defenses, the Jets couldn’t overcome their struggles under center.
The Jets ranked dead last in the NFL in offensive EPA during Robert Saleh's tenure, per @TruMediaSports. 😬
The defense, on the other hand, ranked 7th in defensive EPA … pic.twitter.com/LOGWnDxh5a
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 8, 2024
Acquiring future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers was supposed to change that.
New York traded for Rodgers during the summer of 2023, hoping his addition — combined with a still-elite unit on the defensive side of the ball — would result in wins.
However, Rodgers infamously tore his Achilles on the fourth play of the 2023 campaign, ending the Jets’ season before it started. Rodgers’ 2024 return made this year a make-or-break campaign for New York, and things haven’t gone according to plan.
After firing Saleh, the Jets installed defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as their interim head coach.
A 75-game starter at linebacker for the 49ers from 2000 to 2009, Ulbrich coached with the Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, and UCLA, overlapping with Saleh in Seattle in 2011.