Getty Eagles coach Doug Pederson talks over a play with QB Jalen Hurts while backup Carson Wentz listens in.
No surprises here: Jalen Hurts will close out the season as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. The dual-threat rookie will make his third straight start in a meaningless game against the Washington Football Team. He has gone 1-2 with a 85.7 passer rating since taking over for Carson Wentz.
Well, meaningless for one team as Washington can clinch the NFC East with a victory. Ron Rivera’s squad will also be making a quarterback switch after releasing former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins on Monday. They are giving the keys back to veteran Alex Smith who had missed the prior two games with a calf injury.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson made the announcement about Hurts while fielding calls about his own job security. He wants to finish out the year on a high note despite being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention following a 37-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
“I am going to start Jalen again this week,” Pederson told reporters on Monday. “Going into Week 17, I definitely want to continue to evaluate not only him but the rest of the team and where we are moving forward.”
Doug Pederson is sticking with Jalen Hurts as the starter this week. He also discusses his future in Philly, says he has a “lot of confidence in myself” and has had “several conversations” with Jeffrey Lurie. #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/bPTq1KjVpT
— Michael Greger (@mike_greger) December 28, 2020
Hurts played his worst game as a professional in that one but overall has impressed with both his feet and arm. He became the first quarterback since 1950 to throw for more than 800 yards and rush for over 200 yards in his first three NFL starts. He has thrown for 989 yards while rushing for 320 yards, with six passing touchdowns and a 54.7% completion percentage on 128 attempts.
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Pederson Likely to Return as Eagles Head Coach
He didn’t come right out and say it, but judging the body language and reading in between the lines … it would be shocking to not see Pederson back on the Eagles’ sideline in 2021. The Super Bowl-winning head coach revealed he has had a “lot of conversations” with team owner Jeffrey Lurie throughout the season. Both men believe they can fix what’s wrong and lean on the success stemming from the 2017 championship.
“In regard to my status, obviously, Jeffrey and I have a lot of conversations throughout the season,” Pederson said. “Obviously our main focus is on this season, currently, we still have one game to play. And, really, my confidence lies in myself, that I know exactly how to get things fixed. We’ve won a lot of games around here. We’ve been in the postseason three of the five years that I’ve been here, a championship and all that. So I’ve seen it, I’ve done it, and that’s where my confidence lies.”
Apology to Philly Fans, Blaming COVID-19
One other thing Pederson was quick to do after pondering his own future was to send out a heart-felt apology to the Philly faithful. He knows how passionate the hometown fans are having lived it as both a player and coach.
The 52-year-old called the 2020 campaign “disheartening” while blaming unfortunate injuries (see: 13 different offensive line combinations) and the COVID-19 pandemic (to be fair, all 32 teams dealt with it equally) as contributing factors for a 4-10-1 record.
The NFL’s pandemic season placed emphasis on continuity. Teams with established coaches and veteran players held an advantage. Yet the NFC East had three teams with new HC. All are in contention in Week 17. The #Eagles and – Super Bowl-winning Doug Pederson – are out.
“It’s not what I expected back in training camp and the early part of the season,” Pederson said. “But I know in my heart that this is a great place to play, this is a great place to coach. We do have the best fans; when we win, it’s unbelievable, and it’s exciting, and I know we can get back to that level. I know what that looks like, I know what it takes.”
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