Philadelphia Eagles fire defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, Todd Bowles promoted – NFL News
Soon after Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 6 loss against Detroit Lions, head coach Andy Reid had said that he would look everything in detail during their bye week.
On Tuesday, October 16, Reid made a stunning move by releasing defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, who has served the franchise for 18 years.
Eagles also announced that secondary coach Todd Bowles will take Castillo’s position.
Some drastic steps from the management were certainly on the cards, because Eagles had not lived up to the expectations since the start of this season.
They are 3-3 and have struggled on defence and offence in almost every game. Their last two defeats resulted after the defence blew away Eagles’ lead and hence Castillo eventually lost his job.
According to the details present on the team’s website, Reid said in a statement:
"I want to make it clear that I have nothing but the ultimate respect for Juan Castillo as a coach and as a person. He's one of the finest football coaches that I have ever worked with. He has served this organization extremely well for 18 years and letting
him go was a difficult decision. I know he will continue to be a successful coach in this league and wish he and his family nothing but the best.”
The statement further said:
"We’re six games into the season and average isn’t good enough. I know the potential of our team and insist on maximizing it."
Castillo’s dismissal must prove to be beneficial for the Eagles, especially Reid, who has spent more than a decade with the franchise, but there are questions to his job security as well.
If Eagles are unable to finish this season strongly, the management might even fire Reid as well.
Also, Eagles veteran quarterback Michael Vick seems to have received a lot of chances from the team and more failures from him could also result in his departure from the franchise.
Eagles will not hesitate is making some rash changes to their front office and the roster if the team does not finish the season well. Castillo’s firing is a wakeup call for all the coaching staff and players, who must improve their efficiency.
Tags: