Ranking NFL coaches on shaky ground entering 2024 season, plus seven key takeaways from Prisco’s Top 100

Happy Thursday everyone! John Breech is still busy combing through the Prisco Top 100, so you have me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver all the latest from around the world. NFLright here in the Pick Six newsletter.

Be sure to sign up here to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And continue reading for everything from hot-seat rankings to quarterback contract predictions:

1. Standout rankings: Eight coaches on shaky ground

Every year, NFL coaching rankings change and 2024 was no exception. And there are still more than half a dozen coaches entering the new season with debatable job security. Here is a sample of our outstanding candidateswith a look at the top five coaches under pressure:

5. Mike McCarthy (Cowboys): The offense has always worked very well here, but with Dan Quinn no longer overseeing the game’s defense, all eyes will be on McCarthy, who recorded a single playoff victory in his last six years as boss.

4. Matt Eberflus (Bears): Ten wins in his first two seasons means there will be pressure to finally sniff out the playoff race and/or properly guide the development of new quarterback Caleb Williams, a year after Eberflus’ team suffered mid-season turnover.

3. Dennis Allen (Santos): In four and a half years as boss, dating back to his time with the Las Vegas Raiders, Allen has gone just 24-46, although his current team has prioritized “win now” pieces over long-term rebuilding. It’s probably playoffs or bust for him and Derek Carr.

2. Brian Daboll (Giants): After exiling wayward defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, he will be tasked with reviving Daniel Jones once again and securing a commitment from a club that hasn’t retained a head coach in more than two years since Tom Coughlin.

1. Robert Saleh (Jets): If Aaron Rodgers and the big names stay healthy, maybe the pendulum will finally swing. But both Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have struggled to alter the narrative that Gang Green is more effective as a reality show than a formidable football program.

Find the full rundown of eight hot-seat coaches right here.

2. Owners discussing potential QB salary cap?

Do you think quarterback contracts have gotten out of control, even with inconsistent starters like Trevor Lawrence commanding the money on the market? Apparently, so have some NFL owners, who have privately discussed the possibility of a separate salary cap for signal callers, by NFL Media. One potential model: the NBA’s system, which caps even elite earnings with “max” and “supermax” deals tied to a percentage of the total salary cap. Don’t expect any changes to occur anytime soon, as many teams continue to pay their quarterbacks. They could, you know, just decide no to pay.

3. agent’s opinion: what’s next for Tua, Love contracts

Speaking of quarterback contracts, there are still two to three big deals on the horizon if we believe the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers are serious about locking up Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love, respectively. Former NFL agent and cap expert Joel Corry has some thoughts on how the latest extensions, including Trevor Lawrence’s, will actually influence passer negotiations:

Tagovailoa’s injury history, especially concussions, could make the Dolphins reluctant to give him the type of safety typically associated with high-profile quarterback contracts. … (But) it’s hard to imagine any Tagovailoa deal that doesn’t put him in the $50 million-a-year quarterback club.

Love probably has a better chance of trumping the Lawrence deal. … The Packers are no strangers to having the highest-paid player in the NFL. It was made with Aaron Rodgers‘ Offers from 2013, 2018 and 2022. … The average raise (among the top quarterback deals between Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow) was 2.3%. If the Packers were inclined to do something similar for Love, his extension could cost an average of $56.25 million per year.

To read Corry’s full article, Click here.

4. Priscus’s Top 100 Consequences: Seven Key Takeaways

You’ve heard: Pete Prisco dropped his annual Top 100 rankings, identifying the best of the best NFL talent in 2024. What can we learn from his summary? We have seven key takeaways from the Top 100including these general observations about potential competitors:

Aaron Rodgers Hype Is Growing (Again)

Somehow the New York Jets quarterback was ranked 29th on Prisco’s 2023 list, only to move up (!) nine spots in 2024 now that he’s a year older and coming off a torn Achilles tendon, credited with just four snaps in his Gang Green debut. . And yet, Prisco isn’t alone in professing faith in A-Rod, who is notably his fifth quarterback in the Top 100; The former MVP’s current and former teammates continue to praise the gas he has left in his tank. Perhaps most importantly, the Jets have really addressed Rodgers’ offensive line this offseason, bolstering the front with additions young and old. That doesn’t mean Rodgers himself will return to top form, but it certainly helps the cause.

The Lions are no longer underdogs

This has been apparent for some time now – at least since Detroit advanced to the NFC title game on the backs of a rejuvenated Jared Goff, an ultra-aggressive Dan Campbell, etc. Prisco confirmed the Lions’ rise by placing seven different Motor City players in the Top 100, tied for second with the Ravens and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Goff, who was unranked in 2023, ranked 76th, ahead of even Purdy and the Green Bay Packers’ gunslinger Jordan Love; while young standouts from the trenches Penei Sewell (No. 17) and Aidan Hutchinson (No. 47) made huge leaps from the previous year. No one would be surprised if the Lions remain one of the NFC’s top contenders even after their painful exit in 2023.

5. Kittle says he lost almost 30 pounds after surgery

George Kittle was one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL in 2023 despite battling injuries. Now, the San Francisco 49ers star is trying to maintain Pro Bowl-level production while overcoming another physical hurdle, revealing this week that he I lost almost 30 kilos after undergoing core surgery this offseason. Typically listed at 250 pounds, Kittle still wants to gain about 10 pounds before the 2024 season.

6. Steelers pushing to play in Ireland

The Pittsburgh Steelers have deep ties abroad, as owner Art Rooney II’s family emigrated from Ireland in the 1840s. Fast forward to 2024, and the franchise is working behind the scenes to ensure the club returns to the country … for an international game. Don’t rule out the Steelers traveling in the next few years: “It’s been a goal from the beginning, to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to play a live game in front of Irish fans,” said Steelers director Dan Rooney. of business development and strategy, recently admitted. “We’re working with the NFL on this.”