Black Monday Nearing In The NFL, Who Could Get The Ax

By Jordan Long

The NFL has three more weeks remaining.  Of course, that means January 8th is  Black Monday.  NFL coaches who haven’t coached well are gone and those franchises  start coaching searches. Reports are that New England will move on from Bill Belichick but who else could join him?

            Matt Eberflus is currently the Head Coach of the Chicago Bears. He is in his second season.  Last year they finished 3-14.  This year they are better at 5-9.  It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Bears stick with  Eberflus because he has shown improvement.  Then again, it’s all about the playoffs.  The Bears may not make the postseason.  They are currently the 13th seed in the NFC.  The Bears may have seen enough in his two years with Eberflus to show he can’t lead this team.

            Arthur Smith has been with the Atlanta Falcons since the 2021 season. Before that he was the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2020.  Since he took over they finished 7-10 in 2021 and 2022.  This year they are 6-8 and are in a playoff race to win the NFC South.  Overall Smith’s record heading into Sunday is 20-28, a winning percentage of .417.

            Smith may keep his job if the Falcons earn a playoff spot.  The last time Atlanta was in the playoffs was in 2017.  If they fail, Smith could be gone.  He hasn’t turned the Falcons into a winning team in his 3 years.

            Ron Rivera’s seat has been getting warmer the whole season.  He has been with Washington since 2020. Washington hoped he would lead them to multiple playoff appearances and be a Super Bowl threat.  That has yet to happen. 

            Washington earned a playoff spot in 2020 but were beaten by Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Round.  They haven’t been back.  This year they stand at 4-10 which would give them the 4th pick in the NFL Draft.  Rivera’s overall record in Washington is 26-37-1 or a winning percentage of .414.  He has been given 4 years to turn the franchise around and has failed.

            These are just a few of the coaches who could be fired on Black Monday in the NFL.  The next few weeks will determine their fate.