Philadelphia Eagles Fire Chip Kelly
Philadelphia Eagles have fired Chip Kelly as their head coach, and a new regime is expected to take over next season, according to ESPN.
One of the most talked about teams in the NFL this year was the Philadelphia Eagles, and much of that was due to the fact that head coach Chip Kelly was heavily under the microscope.
All season long, Chip Kelly was being questioned about personnel moves that he made once the 52 year old got promoted to head of football operations for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The decision to hand over $42 million to pry DeMarco Murray away from the Dallas Cowboys was heavily criticized when he was unable to find a role in the Philadelphia Eagles scheme.
Chip Kelly generated even more attention from the media when it was revealed that DeMarco Murray went over his head and talked directly to Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie.
With the Philadelphia Eagles seemingly underachieving as a team, there were plenty of rumors throughout the season about Chip Kelly leaving the NFL and returning to a college team.
Things were going so badly that there were rumors of the Tennessee Titans trading for Chip Kelly, so that he can be reunited with former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariotta.
That playbook is now out the window.
On Tuesday evening, the Philadelphia Eagles announced to the press that they have released Chip Kelly as their head coach. They stated that they appreciated all of his contributions.
Also in the statement was the fact that offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur would be taking over as the interim head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants.
One of the reasons why Pat Shurmur was selected was because he has two years of experience as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. His tenure there was from 2011 through 2012.
Though it cannot be completely ruled out, the belief is that Pat Shurmur is only taking over to get the team through the end of the regular season and not auditioning for the actual job.
No one is certain of what Jeffrie Lurie is looking for in the next head coach. He could seek out another big name guy like Chip Kelly, or he could shy away and go with someone young.
Jon Gruden is in the same boat, and he was formerly the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1995 until 1997 before taking over as head coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Sean McDermott has been doing a fantastic job with the dominant Carolina Panthers defense so far, and a return to the Philadelphia Eagles would make all the sense in the world.
For more than a decade, Sean McDermott served in various capacities for the Philadelphia Eagles, learning from great coaches in Andy Reid and defensive mastermind Jim Johnson.
Philadelphia Eagles fans could be persuaded to get behind Sean McDermott because of his past connection with the team and the fact that the Carolina Panthers are successful.
As for Chip Kelly, someone with the offensive football mind that he possesses will not be unemployed for too long. He’ll find another job, either in the NFL or back in the college ranks.
Chip Kelly just won’t be head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles any more.
[Featured Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images]
