By Jackson Wolff
Following a demoralizing 4-11-1 season, the Philadelphia Eagles fired Head Coach Doug Pederson. After five seasons and the first Super Bowl title for Philadelphia in 2017, Pederson parts ways and the Eagles will begin their search for a new head coach.
After a 52-season drought, Pederson leading the Eagles to a championship brought a wave of love from Eagles’ fans, and then that stadium wave became a wave good-bye during the next three years that descended in an abysmal 2020 season of only four wins.
While Pederson had success as head coach, finishing with a winning record and three playoff appearances, it was clear that Eagles’ owner Jeffery Lurie saw a different direction with his team.
The move is neither sudden nor unwanted, as many fans were outraged over the week 17 loss when Pederson so obviously tanked the final game. In the 4th quarter, Pederson pulled rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts from the game and gave the excuse that he felt that Nate Sudfeld “deserved to get some snaps.”
On top of that, the substitution left the Eagles locker room divided. Running back Miles Sanders stated, “Nobody liked the decision, nobody.” And yet other Eagles, like veteran center Jason Kelce, spoke about a positive outlook for the move. In an interview the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kelce said, “All of us during the week leading up were excited for Nate, a guy who has been with us for 4 years, to get an opportunity in a real game.”
The division in the locker room was going to make it difficult for Pederson to continue. Lurie held a long virtual press conference announcing his decision to let Pederson go. During his extended opening, Lurie spoke highly of Doug as a leader and coach, going so far as to call Doug “a close friend and family to me.” Numerous times throughout the conference Lurie noted he would not be surprised if Pederson was signed onto another team soon. Lurie’s words and tone indicated that there was a professional parting of ways with no bad blood.
When reporters were given the chance to ask questions, many wanted to know the main reason of disagreement between Doug and Lurie. The big problem seemed to be in the vision of the Eagles franchise, as Pederson was in the mindset to make the best team possible for 2021, while Lurie, and presumably Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, were looking to build the team for success over the next 3-7 years.
Lurie also discussed how following the Eagles Super Bowl victory, the organization was in the position to try to win again. He felt that the team owed it to their players to make another run at a title, and they did make it to the divisional round the next year. Unfortunately, the Eagles lost their balance of between short and long-term success and did not turn it around through their subsequent draft picks.
These failed picks quickly came under scrutiny from the press. Most reporters questioned how Roseman has managed to fail in drafts over the last few years. In the 2020, after analysts across the country predicted and recommended the Eagles to draft Justin Jefferson, a wide receiver from LSU, Roseman decided to pick Jalen Reagor from TCU. Reagor had under 400 yards and only one touchdown. Comparatively, Jefferson had 1400 yards and is playing in the Pro-Bowl, a game to honor the best players of the year.
Looking back to the previous year, Roseman drafted key players, Miles Sanders and wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, both of whom have underperformed. Shockingly, Arcega-Whiteside has only had 14 catches in two years.
Even with terrible drafting, Lurie expressed his confidence in Roseman as a general manager, and this in my opinion is the underlying problem of the Eagles. While Doug Pederson may not have been the greatest coach in the NFL, when he was given a talented team, the Eagles fired on all cylinders and made history. However, the only way to get and keep talent is through free agency, trading and drafting, all of which were out of Doug’s hands.
Now the new head coach is Nick Sirianni, former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator. All hope he has the ability and knowledge to swing the Eagles in a positive direction. However, many are questioning, since he has never called a play in an NFL game.
The Eagles will continue to be a lackluster team until the head of the snake is cut off. Until Roseman leaves or is fired, the Eagles franchise will be a mess with no young talent.
Pederson leaves behind a mixed legacy of success and controversy, and incoming Coach Sirianni will have an much to navigate and learn over the offseason and 2021 season. Most pressing right now is the drama of who will be the Eagles’ starting quarterback. Hopefully Lurie’s decision lets Frank Reich’s Mentee to right the ship towards a championship.