PHILADELPHIA – Eagles’ senior offensive assistant, Rich Scangarello, and senior offensive consultant Marty Mornhinweg are on contract expiring and will not return to Philadelphia, sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
These exits follow the news that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will not return in 2021 and are part of a major change in the technical team that should end with a new offensive coordinator.
Coach Doug Pederson reversed the course and separated from offensive coordinator Mike Groh and wide receiver coach Carson Walch at the request of the administration in January 2020, the day after Pederson publicly said they would be back. Owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman were active in the search for a new offensive coordinator. Lurie wanted Graham Harrell from USC, according to a source, but the Eagles failed to win him over.
Instead, they were left without an offensive coordinator in 2020, promoted Press Taylor to passing game coordinator and added a variety of assistants in Lurie’s quest to import some new ideas into a decadent offensive. The end result was many voices, such as the combination of Taylor, Scangarello, Mornhinweg and game analyst Andrew Breiner created a cacophony in the ears of Pederson and defender Carson Wentz, the sources said.
Pederson seemed to suggest this dynamic earlier this month.
“These communications, conversations and ideas generate a lot of positive things. In fact, everyone has great ideas. This is part of preparing the plans,” said Pederson. “But at the end of the day, I want to make sure that there is a voice, and that is my voice, which is heard offensively and from no one else.”
The Eagles are expected to take the post of offensive coordinator this time. Pederson has been reluctant to give up playcall functions in the past, but he did this season and said in December that temporarily giving up playcall was “on the table”. How open he is to delivering these full-time roles will affect the pool of offensive coordinator candidates.
The move to the offensive team follows a 4-11-1 season in which the Eagles finished 26th in scoring (20.9 PPG) and 28th in passing (207.9 YPG).
Wentz regressed dramatically in his fifth year, finishing first in interceptions (15) and top in sacks (50), despite playing only 12 games. Jalen Hurts replaced him as a starter in Week 14.