Debate continues to wage in the Philadelphia Eagles’ fan base.
For almost as long as Doug Pederson has been the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, we’ve never taken certain topics off of the debate table. We’ve discussed how jaded both Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman were and how, following the Chip Kelly debacle (one in which Howie was buried in the equipment room), neither wanted to give total control to a head coach again.
We’ve also discussed the fact that Doug never really had total autonomy in hiring his assistant coaches. Remember, he never hired Jim Schwartz. He inherited him. Things really came to a head in 2020 as the questions and rumors were all over the place.
Throw this in the Philadelphia Eagles’ version of unsolved mysteries.
As the season wore on, there were certain narratives that we were hearing more frequently. Does Doug have any say in naming his starting quarterback? Was he allowed to call the game how he wanted? Remember, there were all of those stories about Carson wanting to run this play and stay away from that one. What about that Mike Groh thing? Remember when Doug said that he was safe, and then, Groh was fired right after Pederson’s comments?
We may never know the answer to any of that, but here’s what we can state. Lurie is just as meddlesome as Jerry Jones. He just doesn’t talk as much (and following that press conference after Doug’s firing, we can see why). Looking back, things make sense now. Look at some of those shots of Doug on the sideline or at press conferences. It was obvious he had enough, and that leads some to believe that maybe, just maybe, he got himself fired on purpose.
Think about it. Why would a man who is entering a meeting with his boss, a meeting that will determine whether or not he stays in his current position, state that he has no intention of changing anything he’s doing? You saw what happened in 2020. You read what Jeff McLane said. Philly’s coaches were awful in 2020, and Doug’s plan was to give a few of them promotions and more responsibility.
Here’s a quote:
"He wanted to fill the empty offensive coordinator position with pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Press Taylor, replace Taylor with pass game analyst Andrew Breiner, and bump up defensive line coach Matt Burke to defensive coordinator, an Eagles source said. Pederson also mentioned former Eagles defensive backs coach Cory Undlin as a possible defensive coordinator candidate. He also wanted to retain special teams coordinator Dave Fipp."
Umm no. That wasn’t going to work.
Perhaps, Doug had enough of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, either Doug is extremely out of touch with what’s been going on with this franchise, blindly loyal to his assistants, or a combination of both. Then again, maybe he was trying to get fired. That’s it! Doug saw an opportunity and he took it.
He was sick of being micromanaged. He was sick of the status quo. Doug was tired of being told what to do, tired of Jeffrey Lurie’s meddling, and tired of Howie Roseman (who has now irritated the last TWO Eagles coaches). Doug Pederson was tired of Carson Wentz. Doug wanted out, and he knew, if he walked into Jeffrey Lurie’s office with the plan that McLane laid out, he would be fired. He just didn’t care.
Oh, come on. You remember all of those rumors that stated Doug wouldn’t care if he wound up being fired, don’t you? They don’t sound so crazy anymore, do they? Remember when the Birds offered Adam Gase the job and he said no after meeting both Lurie and Roseman? Sure, they dodged a bullet there, but it makes sense now right?
Doug Pederson won’t be unemployed for long. The question is where does he end up? Are the New York Jets and a reunion with Joe Douglas an option? It’s possible. Meanwhile, in Philly, a once-solid organization has an issue that they aren’t used to. They might be the team that no one wants to coach. It’s hard to believe, but it’s absolutely true. Remember, Doug wasn’t even their top choice the last time.