Doug Pederson Suddenly Back on Hot Seat

Something went wrong in the days between last week when all seemed to be on track for the coach to return, and here is what some of those issues may have been

Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson sat side by side, albeit in two different rooms due to COVID-19 restrictions, less than 24 hours after the Eagles’ season ended on Jan. 3. 

The appearance was a unified front, a package deal that, together, the general manager and head coach would figure out how to fix everything that went wrong.

Unless it was a façade, something clearly happened between Roseman and Pederson in the days after they spoke, with a report from ESPN emerging on Sunday that owner Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles head coach will meet this week to discuss Pederson’s job status in Florida.

The outlook for Pederson to return does not look particularly sunny, with the same report stating that Pederson has to give a clear view of what his fixes will be, fixes that go beyond what to do about getting Carson Wentz right.

SI.com EagleMaven reported that Roseman already met with Zach Ertz, a close confidante of Wentz, regarding the tight end’s thoughts about how to make things right with the disgruntled quarterback.

READ MORE: Howie Roseman Enlisting Zach Ertz's Aid in Trying to Keep ...

It seems clear the Eagles would like Wentz to return and, all along, it has been presumed that Pederson and Wentz can no longer co-exist and that one would have to go. Even if that one is now Pederson, it may be too late to change Wentz’s mind about possibly requesting a trade.

Perhaps Wentz is a factor in why Lurie is still trying to figure out whether or not to bring back Pederson.

The most obvious likely change is the “tanking” controversy from the season finale that won’t go away.

No way the decision to lose on purpose for a better draft pick was Pederson’s alone, yet it is the coach who has been hung out to dry.

That said, the way in which Pederson executed whatever may have been told to him was mangled, with no clear-cut communication to the entire team and the timing of his removal of Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld.

Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Holmgren spoke out against what Pederson did as did Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.

READ MORE: Emmitt Smith, Mike Holmgren Latest to Speak out Against ...

Players such as Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham have tried to defend Pederson publicly, but there is a concern now that Pederson may have done irreparable damage to his reputation both inside his own locker room and across the league.

If that is the case, a trade to the New York Jets for a draft pick, something some media outlets are reporting could be a possibility, would seem unlikely. Pederson could even find himself untouchable by other franchises looking for a head coach these next few weeks.

Something else that could’ve led Lurie to further consider whether or not Pederson will be his coach going forward is a meeting the two had last Tuesday, a day after the coach and GM spoke. It was a meeting, a source confirmed to SI.com EagleMaven on Sunday, that did not go well.

Since then, there has been, per league sources, bickering between Pederson and Roseman as to who is to blame for a season that ended with three straight losses and only four wins, with both men pointing fingers at each other.

Dysfunction is everywhere in this organization, seemingly since Lurie's fingerprints began turning up on various decisions these past few years, from influencing who to select in the draft to last year's sudden reversal to fire two Pederson assistants, Mike Groh and Carson Walch, when Pederson had endorsed their return just 24 hours earlier.

Now, Lurie will be heavily involved in the decision on Pederson, and the best thing for him to do would be to clean house from top to bottom getting rid of both Roseman and Pederson, and starting fresh.

READ MORE: Jeffrey Lurie Has to Cancel his Soap Opera - Sports Illustrated ...

Right now, it is Pederson in his crosshairs.

Already, the coaching staff has seen dismissals and departures, with senior offensive assistant Rich Scangarello and senior offensive consultant Marty Mornhinweg not being retained after their contracts expired, linebackers coach Ken Flajole opting to retire, and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz choosing to leave on his own volition.

Now, it looks very much like Pederson may be joining them.

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