‘I Sudfeld bad about this, but I don’t.’ NFL, Eagles fans react to Doug Pederson firing
.jpg "Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson talks with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts as quarterback Carson Wentz (11) looks on during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz.")
He led the Philadelphia Eagles to their only Super Bowl title three years ago and now he’s out of a job.
Head coach Doug Pederson was fired on Monday after the Eagles finished in last place in the putrid NFC East with a 4-11-1 record.
The final straw for Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie may have been when Pederson chose to replace quarterback Jalen Hurts with seldom-used backup Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter of a tight game with Washington in the season finale. The game had playoff implications for Washington and the New York Giants. If the Eagles won, the Giants would have won the division. Washington won 20-14 to claim the division with a 7-9 record.
Pederson was pilloried by Giants fans, players and media, along with much of the rest of the NFL, including his owner and players, who all found the move to Sudfeld questionable, if not downright mocking the integrity of the outcome. Pederson defended the move after the game, saying it was his plan along to give Sudfeld the most extensive playing time of his career in the finale.
Pederson was 42-37-1 in five seasons with the Eagles, including three playoff berths (2017-2019). The Eagles went 13-3 in 2017 and beat the New England Patriots 41-33 in the Super Bowl.
This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 2:52 PM.
