After the Philadelphia Eagles fired head coach Doug Pederson, the hierarchy in the NFC East was certainly shaken up, but how does the NY Giants’ future stack up in the division?
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, who won a Super Bowl in 2017 and was the NFC East’s longest-tenured coach prior to his dismissal, was fired on Monday which shakes up the division’s hierarchy.
Following Pederson’s dismissal, the division will feature three coaches hired in 2020; the NY Giants’ Joe Judge, Washington Football Team’s Ron Rivera, and Dallas Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy, and a rookie hire in Philadelphia.
So, how does the NY Giants’ future stack up in the division, after finishing 6-10 and nearly making the postseason as the NFC East champion in 2020?
Here’s a look:
1. Washington Football Team
Washington sneaked into the NFL Playoffs after beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17, but proceeded behind unheralded backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke to very nearly upset Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 31-23 Wild Card loss.
It is unlikely that Heinicke is Washington’s long-term solution at quarterback, though he’ll likely have a chance to win the starting job next summer, but the rest of the roster might be the most primed for sustained success in the division.
Washington enters the offseason with upwards of $40.5 million in cap space to supplement a roster that on offense includes playmakers like wide receiver Terry McLaurin and running back Antonio Gibson, and a defense built with a dominant defensive line of four former first-round picks; Chase Young, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Montez Sweat. It wouldn’t be surprising if Washington uses a chunk of their available cap space to dip into the historically deep free agent class at wide receiver to build around Heinicke or whoever is at quarterback next season.
Head coach Ron Rivera is a proven winner, with an 83-72 career record, and Washington finished winning five of its final seven games, allowing more than 16 points just once, underscoring the development of the defense down the stretch.
If Young, Allen, Sweat, and Payne continue to develop, the front office finds a solution at quarterback and adds at least one more playmaker, Washington has a roster capable of repeating as division champs next season.