Hot seat on every NFC team: These four head coaches are scorching hot.
Even two of the best teams in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, are in hot water. But none of the seats could be more eye-catching than the ones held by the two head coaches of the NFC South, NFC North, and, shockingly, NFC West.
Based on assessments by Yardbarker NFL writers, these are the hot seats on each NFC team.
Trevon Diggs, cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys: Diggs sustained an ACL injury that ended his season in September. DaRon Bland, his replacement, has impressed us with an NFL-high five pick-sixes. Bland can’t possibly return to slot corner in 2024, so Diggs will likely be the starting left cornerback for Stephon Gilmore in the upcoming campaign.
Daniel Jones, quarterback for the New York Giants: With an ACL injury sidelining him for the entire season, Jones is unable to convince the Giants’ ownership to select a quarterback high in the quarterback-heavy 2024 NFL Draft. In 2025, New York can (and will) terminate its $160 million contract.
Quez Watkins, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles: The alleged No. 3 receiver for Philadelphia has just four catches for twenty-one yards. Olamide Zaccheaus and Julio Jones combined for 132 yards receiving and three touchdowns while he missed five games due to a hamstring injury.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Josh Harris, the owner: As the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, he managed the contentious “Process.” When “I’m not Dan Snyder” wears off this offseason, he’ll need a better game plan. The Commanders are struggling in his first season as owners, sitting at 4-8. — Ewing, Bruce
The quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, Kyler Murray: The erratic Murray still has five games left in the season to convince the new coaching staff and front office that he is the quarterback of the future. The Cardinals have enough draft capital, including two first-round selections, to select a franchise quarterback at the top of the QB-heavy 2024 NFL Draft if he fails to impress them.
Cooper Kupp, wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams: He was among the league’s top offensive players when he reached his prime, but his age (30) and injuries (she missed 16 of a possible 28 games in the last two seasons) have reduced his output. Over the previous five games, he has not contributed (12 catches for 127 yards), as Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell, two young receivers, have taken the field.
The head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Shanahan: Under Shanahan, the 49ers have accomplished nearly everything, with the exception of winning a Super Bowl. Whether it is fair or not, it would be a huge letdown to not win a championship with a strong roster, particularly on offense (Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brock Purdy, and George Kittle). His reputation might be at risk, but his job is not.
NFL | Seattle Seahawks | Geno Smith, quarterback: Smith was re-signed by the Seahawks, but he has significantly declined since they decided not to draft a quarterback in 2023. Despite having excellent offensive weapons all around him, his completion percentage was lower than it was in 2022 (69.8 to 65.4%) going into Thursday’s game against Dallas. According to Spotrac, Seattle has an out after this season that would only carry a $17.4 million dead-cap amount. — Gretz Adam…