Unsurprisingly, Doug Pederson Is on the Hot Seat

The Eagles fell 30-16 to the Packers on Sunday and are now 3-8-1 on the season. Jalen Hurts replaced Carson Wentz mid-game, and who starts next week against the Saints is still up in the air. If I were a betting man, I'd wager on Hurts. Nonetheless, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson also finds himself on the hot seat.

"Pederson himself is on the hot seat despite winning a Super Bowl three years ago," Ian Rapoport said this morning on NFL Network. "There's a lot of frustration in the building -- from coaches, from players, from owner Jeffrey Lurie. A lot of eyeballs now on a crucial stretch for Philadelphia."

This news isn't totally stunning. While the Eagles went 9-7 in 2018 and 2019, there was a higher expectation for them to be in championship contention after they beat the Patriots in the Philly Special Super Bowl. They are a little bit like the Chicago Cubs, having won a title several years ago and now badly needing to disband their core.

The issue for the Eagles is that they are an unattractive destination for top head coaching candidates, if they do fire Doug Pederson. This is because they are stuck with Carson Wentz for at least another season and probably two on account of the guaranteed money they still owe him -- nearly $60 million. It's a double whammy that they are paying that much to a guy who may not even be the starter anymore and that his contract hamstrings them from spending in free agency to cover up their many holes.

The Eagles appear to be doomed for more than just this year, and it may be in their best interest long-term to keep Pederson another year, even if they think his magic has dried up.