Eagles’ Jeffrey Lurie Reflects on Firing Andy Reid: ‘It Was Extremely Difficult’

It’s been over a decade since Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie decided to fire Andy Reid as the team’s head coach. And ahead of the first Super Bowl meeting between the two on Sunday, Lurie still considers it one of the most difficult decisions of his tenure.

Reid, 64, was the Eagles’ head coach for 14 seasons and led one of the most successful eras in franchise history. In that time, he led the team to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2004 season and made four trips to the NFC Championship game.

He was even named to Philadelphia’s 75th-anniversary team.

However, following a disappointing 2012 season in which he went 4-12, the worst record of his head coaching career, Reid’s contract was not renewed by Lurie.

There were also difficulties in Reid’s personal life, such as the death of his oldest son, Garrett, ahead of the 2012 season, that also played a role.

And despite his decision, Lurie has continued rooting for Reid’s success and has enjoyed seeing everything he’s accomplished in Kansas City.

“It was extremely difficult because I was personally extremely close with Andy,” Lurie told Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “Obviously we were very, very successful together. He represented everything that I believe in. … I just think the best thing for Andy at the time—and I think his family probably thought the best thing for Andy at the time—was to have a different environment for his family at that moment in time. I always thought he’d be highly successful wherever he went. I credit the Chiefs for immediately realizing their opportunity. And they got a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach, in my opinion.”

Although it was a difficult decision for Lurie, it may have turned out to be the best one for both parties, as each of them have gone on to have great success in their time apart.

Lurie and the Eagles won their first Super Bowl under Doug Pederson in the 2017 season, avenging Reid’s loss to the Patriots over a decade earlier, and have found another great, young coach in Nick Sirianni.

Meanwhile, two years later, Reid got his first ring as a head coach as the Chiefs beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. He’s led Kansas City to the game’s biggest stage three out of the last four seasons, thanks in part to his two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Although his first priority Sunday will obviously be to bring the Chiefs another championship, Reid can’t help but still have soft spot for the place where he began his head coaching career and is still so connected to.

“I’m not sure they’re feeling real good about me this week,” Reid said. “But, listen, I’ve still got so many friends there. I still love them even though they probably don’t love me for a day here.”