Doug Pederson Fired as Eagles HC After 5 Seasons, 1 Super Bowl Win

Doug Pederson's tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles is over after five years.    

Philadelphia fired the head coach Monday following a 4-11-1 record and last-place finish in the NFC East.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network first reported the decision.

After Philadelphia confirmed the decision to part with Pederson, the head coach issued a statement on his time with the franchise:

Pederson's departure comes after ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Tim McManus reported Sunday that his status with the team was "not firm" and might end if "owner Jeffrey Lurie is not confident about Pederson's vision going forward after the two meet again soon."

In the wake of Pederson's exit, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the coach's exit "boiled down" to him being "sick of people telling him what to do." Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer also reported the situation had "been boiling" since last offseason when Pederson was pressured to fire offensive coordinator Mike Groh.

Pederson "initially threatened to quit," per McLane, who added the Eagles "didn't take [it] seriously then."

However, Pederson may not be unemployed for long, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported he has a "strong relationship" with New York Jets GM Joe Douglas and could be in play for the team's head coaching vacancy. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports also said to "keep an eye" on the Jets as a possible landing spot for Pederson.

The Eagles' 2020 season was a disappointment before Week 17, but Pederson was firmly under the spotlight when he elected to remove quarterback Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter of a close loss to the Washington Football Team.

Washington's win eliminated the New York Giants from playoff contention, but it wasn't just New York that was upset.

"Man if I'm being honest, nobody liked the decision, nobody," running back Miles Sanders said on SportsRadio 94WIP. "That's all I can say really. I don't know who was the main person behind that decision. All I know is that a lot of people on the team was confused."

What's more, McLane reported "many Eagles players and coaches were shocked and outraged" with the decision.

The quarterback position was an issue in Philadelphia for much of the year, as Carson Wentz struggled on his way to 16 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. He looked nothing like the MVP candidate he was in 2017 before he tore his ACL.

Pederson eventually benched Wentz for Hurts, who figures to be the quarterback of the future in Philadelphia after the NFC East team selected him with a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Still, Mortensen reported Jan. 3 that Wentz's relationship with Pederson was "fractured beyond repair."

Despite an unceremonious end, Pederson still had plenty of success during his five seasons with the Eagles. The peak was the Super Bowl title during the 2017 campaign, and he finished with a 42-37-1 record and three playoff appearances.

It would not be a surprise to see him on the sidelines somewhere else in the near future because of that success.