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There’s been a lot of speculation about former Eagles quarterback John DeFilippo potentially returning to Philadelphia after being fired by the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday.
It’s not happening, though. Doug Pederson shut that possibility down during his Wednesday morning press conference.
“You know, I was anticipating this question. What I’ll say is John did a great job for me. He helped us win a world championship, and then he had an opportunity [to call plays for the Vikings]. I love my coaches, I’m confident in the guys we have, so, at this time, no.”
When asked if he’s spoken to Flip since the firing, Pederson said he has not.
So, there goes that idea.
Given his previous success in Philly, bringing Flip back seems like an easy call. However, there is a counterargument to consider.
Bringing DeFilippo back this season would not be a good idea for Eagles. Move would undermine current coaches, doing more harm than good.
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 12, 2018
What would you have him do for a 6-7 team with three games left? Take over the offense and make changes, expect everyone to just pick it up?
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 12, 2018
Step into the QB room and have him take over for Press Taylor, who’s growing into job? Would a sudden change this late be good for Wentz?
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 12, 2018
DeFilippo is good, but won’t change direction of this season. Adding another voice now would just create a cacophony.
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 12, 2018
I respect Tim’s opinion here but I disagree. I think there’s a way to bring Flip back as an offensive assistant who can help contribute to the game plan. And we know that the Eagles can use a lot of help with game-planning considering how they have the league’s worst first quarter offense.
But, once again, it’s not just up to the Eagles if they want Flip back. Flip also has to be interested in coming back as well. And maybe he doesn’t want to go back to an organization that blocked him from leaving back in 2016. Maybe he doesn’t want to take a step back if he feels like he can just wait out the rest of the season and potentially interview for another offensive coordinator job this offseason.
It’s worth noting that Pederson said the Eagles don’t have interest in Flip “at this time.” Perhaps they’ll have more interest in the offseason if/when the Eagles make some coaching staff changes.