PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles have fired coach Doug Pederson, a source told ESPN’s Dan Graziano, ending a partnership that yielded the first and only Super Bowl title in the city’s history.
Pederson was expected to remain as a coach despite a 4-11-1 finish, but multiple encounters with owner Jeffrey Lurie over the past week left his boss unconvinced that Pederson had a clear vision for tackling the myriad issues facing the team, sources said. , from navigating the Carson Wentz situation to resolving a violation that finished 26th in scoring (20.9 PPG) and 28th in passing yards (207.9 YPG) in 2020.
Lurie was also not sold on Pederson’s plans regarding his coaching staff, sources said. Pederson insisted on passing game coordinator / quarterbacks coach. Press Taylor to be elevated to Offensive Coordinator instead of bringing in a more established candidate. The issue of filling the void left by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who plans to take the year off from football in 2021, was also unresolved.
Wentz declined dramatically in his fifth year and was replaced in the line-up by rookie Jalen Hurts for the last quarter of the season. Wentz plans to ask for a trade off-season because his relationship with Pederson has been cut beyond repair, according to league sources. The trust issues between the two work both ways, sources said, despite Pederson recently saying his relationship with Wentz was fine.
Pederson’s resignation significantly increases the likelihood that Wentz will stay in Philadelphia, a source tells ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The situation became clear that it would be difficult to continue working together.
Sources describe a crime in 2020 with no identity, due in part to a sizable and mismatched group of assistants and consultants who were last brought in off-season and struggling to align. The absence of a central vision for what the offense should look like made quarterbacking an uphill climb, and all the voices created a cacophony for both Pederson and Wentz, sources said.
As for Hurts, a second round pick last April, there was no clear clarity from Pederson as to whether he felt the franchise had its quarterback of the future if the Eagles were to leave Wentz. The handling of the last game of the season, in which Hurts was drawn in favor of Nate Sudfeld in a 20-14 loss against Washington, also raised the question of whether Pederson had lost the confidence of his players.
Pederson only became the eighth NFL head coach to win a Super Bowl in his first two years at the helm when the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots to capture the Lombardi trophy during the 2017 season. That was the first of three consecutive playoff appearances. for the Eagles under Pederson before the wheels came off in 2020. He amassed a record of 46-39-1 over five seasons with the Eagles, including four playoff wins.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen contributed to this report.