Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was fired yesterday following a series of meetings with owner Jeffrey Lurie, who claimed that it was in “both of [their] best interests to part ways.”

The Eagles 2020 season has come to an end and has left Eagles fans frustrated. There was hope this past offseason that Eagles could make another Super Bowl run and it ended with the franchise quarterback on the bench for the last game of the season. 4-11-1 was not what anyone believed would be the Eagles record in 2020.

Many controversial calls were made this season by Pederson; for example, there were a number of opportunities for field goals, yet Pederson aggressively pursued the fourth down instead. The benching of QB Carson Wentz and starting Jalen Hurts was both celebrated and lamented by fans and teammates alike. Pederson even found a way to frustrate Giants fans who were rooting for the Eagles in week 17 when he made the so-called “tanking move” and benched Hurts for back-up QB Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter.

As the playoffs are underway, the Eagles are moving on from Doug Pederson after just his 5th season as the Eagles head coach. Eagles fans will always remember him for bringing the long-awaited Super Bowl trophy to Philadelphia and for the “Philly Special.” He had a record of 35-28-1 making the playoffs three of his five seasons as head coach and yet the Eagles are moving on from him after one losing season.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and everything we have accomplished together over the last five seasons,” said Lurie in an official statement. “Everyone in the organization understands the type of man and coach that he is, and how much he means to all of us as well as the City of Philadelphia.” 

Following his termination, Pederson said, “As difficult as it is to say goodbye, I will always look back on my time here with appreciation and respect.”

Pederson was arguably what the Eagles needed for their Super Bowl run in 2017, but his views now seem to contradict those of the Eagles front office. Tim Mcmanus of ESPN reported that Lurie was also “not sold on” Pederson’s plans regarding his coaching staff, sources said. Additionally, Pederson “pushed for passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Press Taylor to be elevated to offensive coordinator rather than bringing in a more established candidate,” according to Mcmanus’s article.

Many players also disagreed with Pederson’s decisions this season, yet many respected him as a coach. Eagles safety and captain Rodney Mcleod tweeted, “Wishing my man Dougie P nothing but the best in the next phase of his life. Great coach who never blinked during our toughest moments over the past 5 seasons.” Former Eagles defensive end Chris Long tweeted, “I appreciate Doug Pederson. We worked hard & he never flinched. His energy + attitude was a big part of 2017. Hoping the champ gets back on his feet quickly.” 

Many fans, however, point to the QB controversy as a potential sticking point that pushed Pederson and Lurie to the brink. As of today, Lurie has not committed to Wentz returning next season, according to ESPN.

With all the respect and success Pederson has had with the Eagles the last five years, the Eagles organization and fanbase have to move on yet again. Who’s going to replace Pederson as the head coach? Will it be the Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy? Will it be Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll? It could even be Lincoln Riley the Head Coach of the University of Oklahoma. There are even more questions and doubts now for the Eagles organization as they head into the 2021 offseason.