The Philadelphia Eagles have added themselves to the list of teams looking for a new head coach, as Doug Pederson has been fired.
Pederson met with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie on Monday to discuss his future with the franchise, and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the coach has been let go.
While it recently became obvious that Pederson was on the hot seat following a tough season, the move is still a surprise. The 52-year-old led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots just three years ago.
A report prior to Week 17 claimed the Eagles were planning to bring Pederson back, but that game may have changed things. Pederson benched Jalen Hurts in favor of Nate Sudfeld late in Philly’s loss to Washington. While the Eagles were already eliminated from playoff contention, some felt they were tanking in order to improve their draft position. Players were said to be furious about it and needed to be restrained from going after Pederson.
One Eagles veteran defended Pederson’s decision to play Sudfeld, while another was highly critical of it. It’s possible that situation led to a locker room divide, which made Lurie’s decision easier.
Pederson finishes his career in Philadelphia with a regular-season record of 42-37-1 and playoff record of 4-2.
