Las Vegas' Antonio Pierce, New England's Jerod Mayo and Jacksonville's Doug Pederson are three NFL coaches who are out of a job, though a handful of other teams decided to stay with the status quo in the days following the regular season.
The Tennessee Titans — who own the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft — shook up their front office on Tuesday, firing GM Ran Carthon after two seasons. The week after the season's final game is usually a tough stretch for coaches and front office staff as underachieving teams move quickly to make changes.
Pierce was also dismissed on Tuesday, two days after the Raiders finished with a 4-13 record.
Here is a look at the major moves around the league:
Las Vegas, Pierce part ways after one full season
Pierce started his only full season as the Raiders' coach with a 2-2 record before going on a 10-game losing streak that put his job at risk.
The Raiders dealt with a number of injuries including to defensive linemen Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins and also navigated the Davante Adams early season drama that culminated with a trade to the New York Jets.
“We appreciate Antonio’s leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach,” the team said in a statement. “Antonio grew up a Raiders fan and his Silver and Black roots run deep. We are grateful for his ability to reignite what it means to be a Raider throughout the entire organization."
Pierce took over as the interim coach midway through the 2023 season and went 5-4 the rest of the way, earning strong player support for him to get the job on a full-time basis.
Mayo fired after rough first year
Mayo was fired on Sunday after the team's win over the Buffalo Bills, ending his tenure after just one season and a 4-13 record. The move means the Patriots will embark on another rebuild as the team tries to build an identity following the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era.
On Monday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft took a big chunk of the blame for Mayo's quick tenure.
“This whole situation is on me. I feel terrible for Jerod. Because I put him in an untenable situation,” Kraft said. “I know he has all the tools as a head coach to be successful in this league. He just needed more time before taking the job.”
Pederson let go but GM stays
Pederson is out as Jacksonville’s head coach after the franchise’s “best team assembled” won just four games, though owner Shad Khan did opt to retain general manager Trent Baalke. The Jaguars have lost 18 of their past 23 games dating back to last season.
“It’s unfortunate because at the end of the day we all had a hand in it,” Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk said. “I have a ton of respect for Doug. He’s made me a better football player, better man. I think he’s one of the better coaches to have coached in this league, and it’s just unfortunate the way that things went.”
The 56-year-old Pederson went 23-30 with Jacksonville, a far cry from the Super Bowl-winning coach Khan thought he hired in February 2021. Pederson led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in 2018.
Titans GM fired after two seasons
Carthon is out for the Tennessee Titans after the team went 9-25 in his two seasons, though coach Brian Callahan will be back for a second season.
Carthon was fired Tuesday, two days after the Titans finished with a 3-14 record. The Titans introduced Carthon as the general manager in January 2023.
Tennessee has the top overall pick in April's draft.
Tennessee controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said Chad Brinker, president of football operations, will lead the search for a new GM. Brinker also will have full roster control.
“I am deeply disappointed in our poor win-loss record during this period, of course, but my decision also speaks to my concern about our long-term future should we stay the course,” Strunk said in her statement. “I love this team more than you can imagine. To our fans: we know this level of performance isn’t acceptable."
Some teams stay the course
Not every team that had a rough year has decided to change directions — the Giants announced on Monday that they're keeping coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen despite a 3-14 record this season.
“We came to the decision that staying with both of them is the best course of action for us right now,” said John Mara, the team president and co-owner. "I think in Brian’s case, he was the Coach of the Year two years ago. That didn’t disappear all of a sudden. I still believe he can do that again."
The Indianapolis Colts are staying with their current regime after owner Jim Irsay said coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard will return.
The Miami Dolphins are also sticking with their leaders: Owner Stephen Ross said coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier will return after an 8-9 season.
“As we now look towards 2025, our football operations will continue to be led by Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel with my full support,” Ross said on X. “Their positive working relationship is an asset to the Dolphins, and I believe in the value of stability.
“However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough.”
Next moves
The coaching movement might not be over. The Dallas Cowboys are one of a few teams that is still mulling the next move following a 7-10 season that put coach Mike McCarthy on the hot seat.
Three NFL coaches were fired during the regular season, including Chicago's Matt Eberflus, New Orleans' Dennis Allen and the New York Jets' Robert Saleh.
Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel is among the candidates being linked to several of the open jobs. He and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady were teammates with the Patriots, but Vrabel also figures to attract a lot of attention from other clubs with openings, perhaps including New England.
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AP Pro Football Writers Dennis Waszak Jr. and Teresa Walker and AP Sports Writers Mark Anderson, Kyle Hightower and Michael Marot contributed to this report.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
David Brandt, The Associated Press
