Troy Aikman Thinks Eagles Fired Doug Pederson for Picking Hurts over Wentz at QB

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current NFL on Fox analyst Troy Aikman has a very succinct theory for the reasoning behind Doug Pederson's firing by the Philadelphia Eagles: the benching of Carson Wentz. 

Speaking on the Michael Irvin Podcast, Aikman intimated the decision came down to Pederson siding with the wrong quarterback (h/t Dave Zangaro at NBC Sports Philadelphia):

"What I gathered it came down to was a difference of opinion as to how they were going to move forward at the quarterback position. I sensed that, here Jeffrey Lurie, the owner, has paid a lot of money to Carson Wentz and they're on the hook with him, they can't get out of that contract right away. And yet, it's my belief that Doug Pederson felt that Jalen Hurts was probably the quarterback going forward, and how does that mesh? 

"Without having any understanding of what took place in that meeting, I think they said, well, there's a difference of opinion as to how they're going to go forward and correct this past season. I believe it all came down to how they were gonna handle Carson Wentz. And that's why Doug Pederson is now looking for a job."

Aikman's acknowledgment that he has no clue what happened in the meeting between Pederson and team brass certainly stands out here—and his words are shaped by the analyst admitting what he doesn't know. 

If his reading of the situation is correct, however, it means the Eagles fired their coach because he played a quarterback who gave the team its best chance at winning instead of the quarterback to whom the team owes the most money.

That might be something potential Pederson replacements want to bring up in any interviews with the Eagles before accepting a job in Philly.