Philadelphia Eagles fire Doug Pederson after 4-11-1 season

Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, but just three years later he’s looking for a new job. 

It’s a week later than Black Monday, but that didn’t stop the Philadelphia Eagles from making a surprising coaching change.

According to multiple reports, Doug Pederson was fired as head coach of the Eagles on Monday morning. This comes three years after he brought the first Super Bowl title to Philadelphia but just a week after the Eagles finished the season with a pitiful 4-11 record.

Specifically, the Eagles final game of the season was a point of contention for fans and analysts, one in which Pederson replaced starting quarterback Jalen Hurts with third-stringer Nate Sudfeld. The move essentially threw the competitive scales out of whack and gifted the Washington Football Team an NFC East crown.

Not for nothing, but it all happened on national television as the final Sunday Night Football game of the season.

What happens next for Eagles after firing Doug Pederson?

The Eagles didn’t officially give a reason for the decision, and the move comes a few weeks after it was reported that Pederson’s job was safe through the 2021 season. But one has to wonder if the sour taste left in everyone’s mouth after the Week 17 disaster is what reversed course.

Pederson’s firing is likely the first of many dominos to fall in Philadelphia this offseason. Carson Wentz was benched earlier in the season and seemingly lost his job to backup Jalen Hurts. Wentz is rumored to be looking for a trade this offseason, but the Eagles would incur a massive dead cap hit if they did anything other than keep him — which in itself is an incredibly expensive move.

The success of Jalen Hurts is likely another reason to Pederson has been given a pink slip. While he managed to be a quarterback whisperer that roused Nick Foles to lead the Eagles on a miraculous Super Bowl run, the talent of available head coaches and their potential to maximize Hurts’ impact is too good to pass up.

Imagine Hurts with Eric Bieneinemy, or playing in a Joe Brady or Arthur Smith offense.

Tangentially, this is a move that should be closely watched by the Chicago Bears, who find themselves at a similar crossroads with Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky.

Firing Pederson is a massive decision, one that alters the Eagles future in significant ways. By moving on from a Super Bowl-winning coach amid a quarterback controversy, Lurie is making it extremely clear what direction he wants Philadelphia to head.