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Doug Pederson always smiled for the cameras and defended some questionable decisions pushed on him from the front office. But when general Howie Roseman and team owner Jeffrey Lurie reportedly started meddling in coaching hires and personnel decisions, the Philadelphia Eagles head coach had enough.
Pederson was asked several times this year about selecting Jalen Hurts in the second round and whether he was “on board” with it. Each time, the head coach played the role of good soldier but something seemed amiss. He also appeared frustrated after doing a reverse course on former offensive coordinator Mike Groh at the end of the 2019 campaign. One day Groh was coming back, the next he was fired.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the main reason for Pederson and the Eagles deciding to mutually part ways had to do with a lack of control. Roseman and Lurie were knocking on his door way too many times during the week. He got “sick of people telling him what to do.” And how he’s gone.
Pederson made waves toward the end of the year by admitting he’d like to be a “voice that’s heard” moving forward.
“I want to be a part of the solution,” Pederson told reporters on Dec. 28. “I want to be a part of the evaluation process. I want to be a voice that’s heard, and I want to have that collaborative communication with Howie and his staff and be a part of that process.”
He quickly clarified the comment and talked about not wanting to “cross that line,” presumably not to upset his bosses upstairs.
“I don’t necessarily want to cross that line because it takes you away from doing your job as the head football coach,” Pederson continued. “I like being on the football side of things as a former football player and obviously now a coach. That’s where my passion lies.”
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Eagles Considered Firing Pederson in 2016
Philadelphia went 7-9 in 2016 during his first year in charge of the Eagles. It wasn’t all bad as the team raced out to a 3-0 start and Carson Wentz was garnering Rookie of the Year votes. Then, the wheels came crashing off the Wentz Wagon — and, behind the scenes, people were already questioning Pederson.
According to Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation, the Eagles informally interviewed defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for the head-coaching job that year. There were rumors that some in the building, per The Inquirer‘s Jeff McLane, believed he was the one who leaked the harsh criticism about Pederson to Mike Lombardi.
Pederson’s Departure May Facilitate Wentz’s Return
Not surprisingly, the removal of Pederson has probably increased the likelihood of Wentz returning in 2021. The one-time franchise quarterback reportedly had a broken relationship with his old head coach, one that was “fractured beyond repair.” No Pederson, no problem.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles’ decision to mutually part ways with Pederson “significantly increases” the chances of Wentz staying in Philadelphia. Duh. Anyone could draw that conclusion, but it’s still worth noting that a respectable source felt the need to go on record with it. Can a new head coach fix Wentz? Well, that’s a debate for another time.
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