The Philadelphia Eagles didn't waste any time delaying the inevitable.
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that coach Andy Reid was informed during a Friday meeting with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie that he'd be fired after the season finale against the New York Giants, according to two sources. The Eagles are expected to formally announce Reid's firing Monday.
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The Eaglesstrongly denied the report, saying Lurie and Reid will meet Monday. During the Eagles' postgame news conference, Reid denied talking to Lurie about his job status.
"Whatever he chooses will be the right thing," Reid said in regard to Lurie's decision. "He's always done things for the best interest of the Eagles, and I completely understand either way."
No matter when the news becomes official, the Reid era has ended in ignominious fashion. The Eagles finished a 4-12 season with a 42-7 loss to the New York Giants.
Reid was the longest-tenured coach in the NFL at 14 seasons, going 130-92-1 during the regular season. He led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, including five NFC title games and one Super Bowl appearance.
The quick decision comes as no surprise. The Eagles are expected to aggressively go after some of the big names available in the coaching market. Oregon coach Chip Kelly and Penn State coach Bill O'Brien have been tied to Philadelphia in various reports.
Reid, meanwhile, doesn't figure to be out of work for long. Multiple reports have suggested Reid is interested in the San Diego Chargers job, but NFL.com's Albert Breer reported that interest doesn't appear to be mutual. Reid will want a lot of personnel control, and that wouldn't be the situation in San Diego.
Lurie surely regrets bringing back Reid for this season. The Eagles owner publicly read Reid the riot act after last season and said an 8-8 record wouldn't be acceptable. No one had any idea that things would get much, much worse.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
