Doug Pederson’s firing will have a huge impact on Carson Wentz’s future
The Philadelphia Eagles fired Doug Pederson on Monday afternoon, and now the attention turns to quarterback Carson Wentz and his future.
Carson Wentz won.
The emerging power struggle between himself and now-former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was ended on Monday by owner Jeffrey Lurie, who sided with the far more expensive man in the room.
Wentz, 28, has four years and $130 million remaining on his deal. Pederson might have won the Eagles’ first Super Bowl in franchise history with Wentz’s backup, but even recent history in NFL time is ancient.
With Pederson out and an ungodly cap crunch headed towards Philadelphia and general manager Howie Roseman, questions now swirl. Will the Eagles try to resurrect Wentz with a new coaching staff, even though the supporting cast might get worse with the potential departures of offensive linemen Jason Peters and Jason Kelce, and tight end Zach Ertz.
The smart money says yes.
Lurie essentially got rid of Pederson for two reasons. First, his unfathomable decision to essentially tank in Week 17 by yanking Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld caused a chasm which would have been quite difficult to repair. At 4-10-1 the season was effectively over, but for the players with their battered bodies on the field in a nationally televised game, it was an awful, awful decision.
Second, Pederson benched Wentz — and rightfully so — with the quarterback reacting negatively through leaked stories in the media. At one point, a report came out about Wentz and Pederson having a fractured relationship beyond repair. It doesn’t take Colombo to figure out which side planted the headline.
With Pederson gone, Roseman and Lurie can now attempt to lure a high-profile offensive coach into the fray. Brian Daboll and Eric Bieniemy, two offensive coordinators with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, should be top targets. Another pair of OCs to keep tabs on are Joe Brady of the Carolina Panthers and Greg Roman with the Baltimore Ravens. Those are only a few options of many.
With Wentz carrying a cap charge of $34 million this season, moving him for any return is impossible. Philadelphia understood this and acted accordingly. Now it must find a coach who can marry his scheme to Wentz’s talents, hoping to rediscover the form which made him an MVP favorite in 2017.
The long road back for Wentz begins now, and after Monday’s events, it still goes through Philadelphia.