New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is believed to be the frontrunner for the Philadelphia Eagles’ head-coaching vacancy.
But while other teams, like the New York Jets, were quick to snap up their No. 1 candidates, the Eagles are doing their due diligence — at least when it comes to McDaniels.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio reported on Tuesday morning that questions of how he can work with general manager Howie Roseman remain.
“Look, McDaniels ran the show in Denver. Howie Roseman has a major seat at the table in Philly,” Florio said. “How do these two co-exist? My understanding is, Roseman is fine with it. It’s just a matter of talking the owner, Jeffrey Lurie, into it.”
Before McDaniels bolstered his status as one of the top head-coaching candidates in the NFL behind his work with Bill Belichick and New England, he was the head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-2010 where he posted a 11-17 record. He was fired before completing his second season.
While in Denver, McDaniels had the final say in the personnel that he ran with — something that was a major point of contention and led to the split between Pederson and Lurie.
Roseman still holds a considerable amount of power in Philadelphia despite building rosters in each of the last two seasons that featured major deficiencies, especially during a 2020 season in which it went 4-11-1 and finished in last place in the NFC East.
Regardless of questions of co-existence with Roseman, McDaniels remains the man many believe to be the next one to take over the Eagles’ sidelines.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Eagles are doing “extensive background” work on the 44-year-old.
“That doesn’t mean he’s getting the job, but I do believe that Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman are intrigued with what McDaniels might be able to do,” Breer wrote. “And he’s an easy answer to a question they’re trying to confront: Which available coach is best equipped to build an offense that works for our quarterback(s)?”
From eight seasons, from 2012-2019, McDaniels’ offense in New England was ranked within the top-seven in the league before the departure of Tom Brady. With Cam Newton largely taking the reins under center in 2020, the Patriots’ offense ranked 27th in both points scored and yards gained.
