Eagles Rumors: HC Doug Pederson Could Be Fired; Concerns 'Beyond Carson Wentz'

The Philadelphia Eagles haven't made a final decision on the status of head coach Doug Pederson.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Tim McManus reported Sunday that Pederson's status "is not firm" and might hinge on an upcoming meeting with team owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Mortensen and Adam Schefter reported Jan. 2 that "Lurie was said to be unhappy with the team's results," but the signs pointed to Pederson's return. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane and EJ Smith corroborated the report.

Both those stories came before Philadelphia's Week 17 loss to the Washington Football Team. Pederson drew significant criticism for removing starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and playing Nate Sudfeld when the team trailed by three points in the fourth quarter.

The criticism wasn't limited to external sources. Running back Miles Sanders said on SportsRadio 94WIP that "nobody liked the decision." McLane reported "many Eagles players and coaches were shocked and outraged." 

Veteran center Jason Kelce struck a diplomatic tone when discussing the situation but acknowledged he'd "be lying if I wasn't a little surprised given the circumstances that the move happened when it did."

McManus reported Thursday the Eagles were letting offensive assistant Rich Scangarello and senior offensive consultant Marty Mornhinweg leave once their contracts officially expire. The implication seemed to be the front office and ownership were looking to reshuffle the staff rather than make a coaching change.

According to McLane, Pederson may not necessarily be fully on board with that plan:

This past season was a total disaster on almost every level.

The Eagles won four games and failed to win a division in which a losing record was enough to claim the title. Carson Wentz was one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks and may look to request a trade because his relationship with Pederson is "fractured beyond repair," per Mortensen. And Pederson's handling of the season finale may have shaken the faith some of his players had in him.

Three years ago, Pederson was guiding the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title, and he appeared to be Philadelphia's long-term solution on the sideline.

Given how quickly things have unraveled since then, his firing wouldn't come as a total shock.