Who’s out in the NFL?
The Black Monday firings seem to be in full effect today as a sweep of firings has swung through the NFL. Let’s take a quick look at who’s out and what to look forward to in 2013.
The Philadelphia Eagles fired Andy Reid, ending his 14-year career with the team. Reid was well-liked and respected throughout his career, but as USA Today reports, owner Jeffery Lurie had enough of Reid.
“It is time for the Eagles to move in a new direction,” Lurie said. “Coach Reid leaves us with a winning tradition that we can build upon. And we are very excited about the future.”
In addition to Reid, Lovie Smith has been fired despite a nine-season tenure and three playoff appearances with the Chicago Bears. Smith was loved by the players, but the Bears’ collapse in the second half of the season caused GM Phil Emery to pull the plug and shift the team in a new direction.
The firing of Chan Gailey was expected, as his all time low .333 winning percentage over his career sets a Bills record that no one wants to hold. The Bills seem to hope that a change of scenery and pace will set them on the track to success instead of floundering in the standings as they have done in recent years.
Romeo Crennel, coach of the Kansas City Chiefs managed to do a worse job than Gailey this year. After running the team into the ground, he was fired earlier Monday after one year on the job.
“I am embarrassed by the poor product we gave our fans this season, and I believe we have no choice but to move the franchise in a different direction,” said Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt. “I will immediately begin the search for the next head coach of the Chiefs.”
The Cleveland Browns also made a big move on Monday by firing Pat Shurmur. The team has a great deal of young talent and despite their ugly 5-11 record, they have the potential to improve next season. The job opening is an attractive offer considering the younger players who may lift the franchise up. The season may be over for the Browns, but next year may be a different story.
The San Diego Chargers joined the crowd and fired Norv Turner. Turner had been with the team since 2007 and compiled a 59-43 record but that was not enough for team President Dean Spanos.
There ends the news for the morning, but there will likely continue to be more firings in the next day or so. Don’t forget to keep checking as teams continue making moves throughout the day.
