Nick Piccone
In the NFL, there are always coaches changing teams that seemingly happens more often than players. Coaches – at least to the public eye – are basically given one-year contracts by teams, and sometimes move up or down the next season depending on their success. With Eagles quarterbacks coach, John DeFilippo, there was reportedly an opportunity for him to interview with the New York Jets about their offensive coordinator position.
And Jeffrey Lurie said no. According to a report from Jeff McLane of The Inquirer, Lurie stepped in and overrode Howie Roseman’s and Doug Pederson’s word to DeFilippo that he would be allowed to seek an offensive coordinator position this off-season.
When Doug Pederson and Howie Roseman hired John DeFilippo to be the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach a year ago they told him that if he had an offer to become an offensive coordinator they wouldn’t stand in his way.
Earlier this month, the New York Jets asked to interview DeFilippo for that very job. Pederson and Roseman, true to their word, signed off on the request. NFL teams can’t block assistants from auditioning for head coaching vacancies, but they can prevent them from interviewing for coordinator positions.
It’s unclear whether DeFilippo would have gotten the Jets job or even wanted it, but he never got an opportunity to toss his hat in the ring. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie stepped in and rescinded the original consent, according to four independent NFL sources.
While DeFilippo staying with Carson Wentz at least one more year could be seen as a good thing, especially the continuity Wentz will have with his closest coach, McLane also noted that DeFilippo spent time with Derek Carr, who actually seemed to improve after he left the Raiders.
The big story here is that Lurie is now throwing his weight around somewhat, and possibly taking over decision-making from the guys he’s trusted to make those decisions in the past. Maybe he feels the public pressure for the Eagles to, you know, actually make the playoffs again is too great for him to sit idly by and watch. I don’t hate the decision. And hopefully Wentz improves next season because of that continuity I mentioned earlier. But this begins a process in which Lurie could potentially be the decision-maker heading into the draft, in free agency, and maybe even training camp cuts. Where does it end?
We’ll find out soon enough.
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