Top Coaches Eagles Must Consider to Replace Doug Pederson After Firing

Philadelphia Eagles fans surely didn't expect their team to be looking for a new coach within a few years of Doug Pederson leading the team to a Super Bowl title in 2018, but life moves fast in the NFL.

The Eagles confirmed they fired Pederson on Monday. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added "after speaking with two people close to former Eagles coach Doug Pederson, it sounds like this is what it boiled down: Pederson was sick of people telling him what to do."

Philadelphia was just 4-11-1 this season and finished in last place in an NFC East that did not feature a single team with a winning record.

Making the playoffs as soon as next year in that division is not out of the question with the correct hire. With that in mind, here is a look at some of the coaches the Eagles should consider to replace Pederson:

• Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator
• Brian Daboll, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
• Robert Saleh, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator
• Arthur Smith, Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator
• Joe Brady, Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator

One thing that stands out about this list is how offensive-oriented it is, which is key for the Eagles.

After all, they selected Jalen Hurts with a second-round pick in the 2020 draft and eventually benched Carson Wentz for the rookie in December. If Hurts truly is the quarterback of the future for the Eagles—or even if they want to rectify the situation with Wentz and hope the fifth-year pro discovers his old form—hiring an offensive coach makes sense.

Bieniemy is seemingly mentioned for every head coaching opportunity recently—and for good reason.

The Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator helped build a dynamic offense with Patrick Mahomes at the center of all of it. While expecting Hurts to be like Mahomes is unfair seeing how the Chiefs signal-caller is well on his way to becoming an all-time great, Bieniemy knows how to get the best out of an offense.

The man who helped design plays to get Tyreek Hill in space and Travis Kelce open while Kansas City won the Super Bowl should be at the top of Philadelphia's list.

Speaking of getting the best out of an offense, Daboll and Smith have done just that of late.

Daboll's Bills won the AFC East this season with quarterback Josh Allen playing like an MVP candidate. Buffalo finished No. 2 in the league in scoring, tied for second in yards, No. 3 in passing yards and No. 1 in third-down efficiency during the 2020 campaign, with Allen throwing for 4,544 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Allen made noticeable throwing improvements each season since he was a rookie in 2018, and Daboll could help Hurts do the same.

Smith's Titans tied for second in the league in total yards and were fourth in points this year. The AFC South champions relied on running back Derrick Henry, who ran for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns—both NFL bests—after also leading the league last year with 1,540 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.

Considering Henry didn't even make a Pro Bowl before Smith was the OC, Eagles running back Miles Sanders might want to pull for him as the next head coach.

It wasn't just the running back spot that saw improvements, as Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was a Pro Bowler in 2019 and looked like one at times this year with 3,819 passing yards, 266 rushing yards and 40 total touchdowns.

Elsewhere, Brady thrived working with a young quarterback as the passing game coordinator for LSU during the 2019 season. Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff national championship under Brady's tutelage, and it is not difficult to envision Hurts taking strides with him as a coach.

While Carolina did not enjoy the same type of success as LSU, Teddy Bridgewater threw for a career-high 3,733 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2020 while adding another 279 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. The Panthers, who were without All-Pro back Christian McCaffrey for most of the season, ranked 24th in points last year.

If Philadelphia does want to go with a more defense-minded coach, Saleh is the best choice.

His 49ers unit was dominant last season on the way to the Super Bowl last season and still finished fifth in the league in yards allowed during the 2020 campaign even though it was devastated by injuries to many of the top playmakers.

Considering Philadelphia was 19th in yards allowed and 20th in points allowed, perhaps a defensive boost is in order.