The Philadelphia Eagles will not exempt members of their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, from their head-coaching search.
Per ESPN, the Eagles have requested to interview Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for their head-coaching vacancy left when Doug Pederson was dismissed on Monday.
At just 32, Moore would be one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history just four years removed from his playing days.
A standout quarterback at Boise State, Moore was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2012 before joining the Cowboys in 2015. He made the transition from player to coach just three years later, working as the Cowboys’ quarterback coach before being named offensive coordinator in 2019.
He had a brilliant debut season with a full complement of weapons, most notably quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. Dallas gained the most yards and scored the sixth-most points in the NFL, but a poor defense resulted in an 8-8 season and a missed the playoffs.
The 2020 season was far more challenging as Prescott went down early in the season with a gruesome leg injury. Still, the Cowboys’ offense had the No. 8 passing attack in all of football with a cast of characters under center headlined by Andy Dalton.
It was good enough to earn him a three-year contract extension earlier in January.
“We are building something special here in Dallas,” Moore said of his new deal. “I’m thankful to the Jones family and Mike McCarthy for providing me with the opportunity to coach these special players. I am excited for us to put it all together and finish the job.”
His ability to get the most out of his quarterbacks obviously appeals to an Eagles team that has so many question marks right now under center.
Pederson’s departure bodes well for Carson Wentz to return as the No. 1 passer in Philadelphia, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career that resulted in his benching in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers.
Jalen Hurts’ strong showing in his rookie year in relief of Wentz would give Moore plenty of talent to work with should he find the Eagles’ job appealing.
