Clayton: Do Not Be Surprised If Jeff Fisher Ends Up As Eagles Defensive Coordinator

ESPN's John Clayton is reporting that in the past two hours, Andy Reid has told candidates(there are candidates?) that the Eagles defensive coordinator job is closed. This led Clayton to speculate that Fisher could resurface as the Eagles defensive coordinator very soon. His exact quote was, "Do not be surprised if he ends very quickly in Philadelphia working with Andy Reid."

Jeff Fisher previously held the job of Eagles defensive coordinator under Buddy Ryan. He's spent the last 16 years as the head coach of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise. Yes, the team we know as the Tennessee Titans has never had another coach... Until today, Fisher was the longest tenured coach in the NFL.

Obviously Fisher brings almost unparalleled experience and a fantastic track record as a defensive mind to the table. If Andy Reid did somehow persuade him to take over the Eagles defensive, it would literally be a Cliff Lee level coup and surprise.... which is why it's somewhat hard to believe. Fisher could easily get another head coaching job next season if he wanted. Why he'd come to Philadelphia to be a coordinator is hard to figure. You'd think the more likely option is that he'd take a year off, maybe do some work for ESPN and then take his pick of almost any vacancy next season.

It's worth noting that while Clayton seems to claim some sort of inside info in his report about Reid saying the job is closed, his suggestion that Fisher is coming to Philadelphia is just speculation. For what it's worth, the Philadelphia Inquirer cites a "source" which completely contradicts Clayton saying that the coordinator search is not closed and that Fisher is not coming to Philadelphia.