Longtime Eagles assistant and fan favorite Duce Staley has asked out of his contract to pursue other opportunities, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.
Staley, 45, was recently passed up for the Eagles’ head coaching job for the second time in the last six years.
This seems like the best decision for both sides.
Staley has been on the Eagles coaching staff for over a decade after he joined as an intern under Andy Reid in the summer of 2010. And he coached under three different head coaches in the last decade. But it’s pretty clear that there isn’t a chance for growth within the organization that drafted him in the third round back in 1997.
It’s just time for Duce to move on.
Staley seemed like a real candidate for the head coaching position this offseason and owner Jeff Lurie even brought up his name unprompted after Doug Pederson was fired. But instead, the Eagles hired Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni and are already quickly putting together his first coaching staff. It will not include Staley, who became the assistant head coach in 2018.
The Bears recently showed some interest in Staley and there will likely be more teams that come calling. Staley has been quite accomplished as a running backs coach since 2013. It was a wise decision for the Eagles to keep Staley in 2016.
In fact, Staley was a quality control guy under Andy Reid and wasn’t promoted to running backs coach until Chip Kelly arrived in 2013. Under Staley, LeSean McCoy had some of his best seasons, Miles Sanders has gotten off to a great start in his career and Staley managed egos on that 2017 team on the way to a Super Bowl title.
Before he was a coach, Staley had a very good NFL career with the Eagles and Steelers. He became a fan favorite in Philly and ranks fifth in Eagles history in rushing yards. His career in the NFL made him relatable to the players he has coached.
Among players in the locker room, Staley was clearly the favorite choice to be the Eagles’ next head coach but the organization went in a different direction.
And now it’s time for Duce to move on and move up like he was never able to in Philly.
Subscribe to the Eagle Eye podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube
