Doug Pederson Says No to Bringing Back John DeFilippo … ‘at This Time'

In the wake of John DeFilippo's getting fired by the Vikings on Tuesday, the natural reaction was to think about a possible reunion in Philly. 

Even though Minnesota's offense hadn't been good under DeFilippo, he was a part of the Super Bowl staff that led the Eagles to great offensive success not that long ago. So, naturally, there was a clamor from the fan base to bring him back. 

So Pederson knew the question was coming. Here was his response Wednesday morning: 

I was anticipating this question, but listen, what I'll say is John did a great job for me. He helped us win a world championship and then he had an opportunity. I love my coaches. I'm confident in the guys we have. So at this time, no.

If you really want the Eagles to bring back Flip, the part to cling to there is "at this time," because Pederson didn't rule out an eventual return. But this probably shuts down the idea that Flip would be brought in for some Hue Jackson-type role in Cincinnati. 

While Pederson didn't rule out an eventual reunion, as I wrote yesterday (see story), it could be tricky because both sides would need to want it. It was important to DeFilippo to get an opportunity to call plays. If the offensive coordinator job in Philadelphia became available, it still wouldn't give him the ability to do that. He'd be stuck behind Pederson in that regard. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Why Jeff Lurie has no problem with Jalen Hurts' stoic demeanor 

A look at the 11 Eagles free agents who haven't found jobs yet

DeFilippo is still just 40 years old and was thought to be an up-and-coming offensive mind who was going to be a head coach. It's unclear how his incomplete season in Minnesota will change the perception of him throughout the league. 

But we do know the Eagles thought a lot of him as a coach and for good reason. As QB coach, he helped Carson Wentz become an MVP candidate and helped Nick Foles lead the team to a championship. The Eagles blocked him from leaving before last season and it helped them win a Super Bowl. It wouldn't be crazy for them to want to bring him back.

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.

More on the Eagles

Copyright CSNPhily
Contact Us