Despite being rumored to be one of the best available candidates, it looks like Philadelphia Eagles quarterback coach John DeFilippo might not get a head coaching gig this year.
Right now there are only four openings left and Flip has been connected to one of them. The Cardinals reportedly interviewed Flip, but he’s not considered the front-runner there. Instead, reports indicate that Pat Shurmur is the favorite for the Arizona job.
So if Flip doesn’t get hired to be a head coach, that means he’ll be back as the Eagles’ quarterback coach, right?
Not necessarily. Flip’s contract is reportedly up once the Eagles’ season is over. He’s going to have a chance to pursue offensive coordinator jobs. It already sounds like multiple teams are interested in him. Check out what Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer had to say:
If he doesn’t get the Arizona job, Eagles QBs coach John DeFilippo becomes a man to watch. His contract is up in Philly, per sources, which would make him an interesting coordinator option for a lot of teams. Rumblings are that Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who interviewed with the Cardinals and Giants, would want DeFilippo to run his offense.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora has also reported on the possibility of a Wilks-DeFilippo combination.
Big week for Panthers DC Steve Wilks. NYG, AZ, IND are 1st interviews. Norv Turner and John DeFilippo among his OC possibilities if hired
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 9, 2018
Losing Flip will be a bummer, but it’ll be even more annoying if he ends up with the Giants.
There’s also a chance Flip could end up on the Seahawks. Seattle fired offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell this week. For what it’s worth, former Field Gulls contributor Davis Hsu says that Flip is the Seahawks’ top choice at OC.
Some have suggested the Eagles should just get rid of current Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich and promote Flip in order to avoid losing him, but that’s not realistic. The Eagles aren’t just going to kick Reich to the curb after the team went 13-3 and had a good offensive year. Plus Flip could easily get hired for a head coaching job next offseason.
The reality is there’s a good chance the Eagles could lose Flip. Again, considering the work he’s done with MVP candidate Carson Wentz, that’s unfortunate. But I can’t think of an MVP candidate who had his career derailed simply because he lost his quarterback coach.
If Flip does leave, the Eagles have some viable replacement options. Former Lions head coach Jim Caldwell has plenty of experience coaching quarterback. Recently fired Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula could also be a good option.
For now, the Eagles can block Flip from interviewing for offensive coordinator jobs since their season is still going on. That’ll change if/when they are eliminated.