Eagles head coach Andy Reid had a change of heart. Unfortunately, for Sean McDermott, it wasn’t a good one.
Less than a week after telling the defensive coordinator that his job was safe, Reid decided to fire McDermott this past weekend. It is the first time in Reid’s 12-year tenure that he’s dismissed a coordinator. The team has yet to name a replacement.
The Eagles, under McDermott’s watch, finished with the NFL’s worst red-zone defense — 76.74 percent of opponent’s trips into the red zone resulted in touchdowns — and allowed a franchise-high 31 touchdown passes. The defense also surrendered at least 24 points in 11 games this past season.
Reid reportedly told the 36-year-old McDermott that the burden of filling the legendary shoes of the late Jim Johnson was a contributing factor. McDermott had considered Johnson his mentor.
