After five seasons at the helm, the Philadelphia Eagles decided to part ways with head coach Doug Pederson. While Pederson is the only Super Bowl winning head coach in franchise history, it has been all downhill since they upset the New England Patriots. The Eagles are just 22-25-1 since lifting the Super Bowl LII title, including a 4-11-1 campaign in 2020.
Not only did Philadelphia’s offense struggle, but the team’s quarterback, Carson Wentz, also regressed. Wentz was statistically one of the worst QBs in the NFL this season and eventually got benched for rookie Jalen Hurts after 12 games.
The next head coach’s job undoubtedly will be to first and foremost figure out the team's quarterback situation for next season. Which brings us to the big question: Who will that next coach be?
Some recent odds point to Kansas City’s Eric Bieniemy as the favorite. Mike Kafka, Brian Daboll, and Lincoln Riley are also in the mix.
With the time for the Eagles to make a decision fast-approaching, let’s take a look at the list of contenders to land in Philadelphia.
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Eric Bieniemy +400
The Eagles went the Andy Reid coaching tree route once before with Pederson, and it certainly paid off. Bieniemy’s coaching history includes positions with Colorado and UCLA at the collegiate level, and the Minnesota Vikings, before joining the Chiefs in 2013 as a running backs coach.
Bieniemy’s ascension with the Chiefs has been fun to watch as he now runs the offense. He has served as the team’s offensive coordinator since 2018 and won Super Bowl LIV with the team. Kansas City’s offense was first in total yards this year and Patrick Mahomes also won a league MVP and Super Bowl MVP with Bieniemy as his offensive coordinator.
Here's another fun fact: He was an Eagles running back in 1999, so his ties to the organization run deep.
Mike Kafka +400
Kafka, who is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Chiefs, comes in as the co-favorite to replace Pederson. The Eagles reportedly had interest in him for their offensive coordinator vacancy last year but Kansas City blocked him from interviewing. Kafka also has ties to Philadelphia, as he played quarterback for them in the past.
Kansas City leads the league in most passing yards per game (300.4), and many credit that to Kafka’s work with Mahomes. If you're placing a bet, Kafka makes a lot of sense to end up in Philadelphia given all of his ties to the organization.
Brian Daboll +450
Daboll is a serious contender to watch as he checks a lot of the boxes for what teams look for in a head coach. He is young, innovative, offensive minded and the architect behind Buffalo’s thriving offense. Most notably, Josh Allen has seen huge improvements under his watch, setting franchise marks in both passing yards and touchdowns this season.
Philly brass might think Daboll can fix Carson Wentz if hired. Here is another fun fact: Daboll also shares the same agent (Bob LaMonte) as Howie Roseman, the Executive Vice President of the Eagles.
Lincoln Riley +550
Riley is an offensive innovator within the football community, as his resume speaks for itself. The Oklahoma head coach developed Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray into No. 1 picks and had success turning Jalen Hurts from running quarterback to Heisman Trophy finalist.
But, will Riley leave the great situation he has at Oklahoma? The Eagles have reportedly reached out to Riley, who also has a relationship with Roseman. There’s a lot of “buzz” about Philadelphia higher ups liking the Oklahoma coach and Hurts pairing. If Riley does leave college football, this match makes a lot of sense on paper.
He could land in Philly if the Eagles pull a "Godfather" and make Riley an offer he can't refuse.
Rex Ryan +3300
Longshot here, but Rex's dad, Buddy Ryan, was Philadelphia’s head coach back in the day. Both son and father were known for their aggressive defensive styles. Ryan isn't a likely candidate but his family's ties to the organization make him an interesting name to watch.
One other name to keep an eye on is Robert Salah (+2500), the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator. Adam Schefter reported this morning that the Eagles have requested to interview him.
From a betting angle, Kafka makes the most sense, but don't count out Riley. This could be the perfect situation to finally lure him away from college into the NFL.