Getty Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Are the Philadelphia Eagles close to selecting their next head coach? While the team hasn’t provided an official update, there were multiple reports circulating about a few interviews over the weekend.
The most intriguing name was New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who reportedly flew to Florida to meet with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie on Sunday morning. The 44-year-old coach was still interviewing at 8 p.m., according to NBC10’s John Clark. Philadelphia had also requested permission to meet with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy who spent the 1999 season in midnight green as a player.
UPDATE: McDaniels has emerged as the “prime candidate” to replace Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. There is no interview scheduled with Bieniemy at this time.
Eagles assistant head coach Duce Staley interviewed with Lurie on Friday, but there was no indication of an offer being made. The franchise has also requested interviews with Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
In addition, Lurie has reportedly met with Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and New England Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. They have also been linked to Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
A list of head coaching candidates the Eagles have reportedly interviewed or have requested to interview:
Joe Brady
*Robert Saleh
*Arthur Smith
Jerod Mayo
Duce Staley
Todd Bowles
Kellen Moore
Brandon Staley
Josh McDaniels
Eric Bieniemy
* No longer available/hired elsewhere
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Dysfunction at Top of Eagles Organization?
There has been a flurry of reports coming out over the past two weeks about Carson Wentz’s role in the decision to part ways with Doug Pederson. The 28-year-old quarterback hasn’t addressed the media to set the record straight, but the evidence is mounting against Wentz.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer painted a portrait of an “uncoachable star” in a bombshell story making the rounds. Wentz reportedly clashed with Pederson multiple times while defiantly killing plays at the line of scrimmage and refusing to hold himself accountable for the offense’s struggles. He’s a player who doesn’t take kindly to “hard coaching.”
Wentz’s Type-A personality could be credited just as much for his past success. Many top quarterbacks share the same trait. But the 28-year-old had increasingly rebuffed advice, defied criticism, and clashed with former coach Doug Pederson last season, Eagles sources said.
“Every great quarterback wants to be coached and they want to be coached hard and by the best, and it doesn’t seem like [Wentz] wants that,” one source said. “It’s kind of like whoever’s coaching him is working for him. But it can’t be that way.”
Inside Carson Wentz’s turbulent season and the forces behind his regression.
A perfect storm of organizational hero-worship, dubious coaching, injuries, poor roster management and Wentz himself led to one of the NFL’s worst-ever QB declines.
The story:
Seahawks, NFL Teams Reach Out to Pederson
A number of teams have reached out to Pederson in an attempt to gauge his interest in coaching next year. While reports of the Super Bowl-winning head coach taking charge of the New York Jets turned out to be greatly exaggerated — Robert Saleh got the job — there has been legitimate suitors.
The Seattle Seahawks inquired about Pederson becoming their new offensive coordinator, but there’s a growing sense he might take the year off. According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, Pederson is unlikely to coach in the NFL in 2021 in any capacity at this point.
Pederson has been contacted by several teams, sources said, including one that did have head coaching interest, but at this point he has no interviews scheduled. Teams have reached out about other roles as well, but getting the right fit with the right staff would be difficult, and it would be surprising if a coordinator role that suited him came along.
Unlikely Doug Pederson is on an NFL sideline in 2021
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Patriots Assistant ‘Prime Candidate’ for Eagles Head Coach