Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie didn’t mince words when discussing the future of Andy Reid with the team on Thursday, saying the coach must do better in order to keep his job past this year.
“We need substantial improvement,” Lurie said before the Eagles’ 28-10 preseason victory against the New York Jets on Thursday night in Philadelphia. “We have a very good team on paper, and paper doesn’t get you that far if you don’t maximize it.”
Reid’s contract runs through the 2013 season. Lurie said he won’t decide on whether to offer the 14th-year coach an extension until after this season.
“You try to make the best judgment you can after the season,” Lurie said during his annual state of the team address with reporters, which lasted about 40 minutes.
“There will be no formula regarding the right decision. It’ll be very clear.”
The Eagles were strong favorites to reach the Super Bowl last year after adding several accomplished players in the offseason. Backup quarterback Vince Young, one of those additions, even referred to the 2011 Eagles as the “Dream Team.”
But they started 1-4 and were 4-8 before closing out the year with four consecutive wins against non-playoff teams.
Lurie on Thursday acknowledged that injuries were partly to blame for the Eagles’ struggles last year, but added: “8-8 is unacceptable … that was a really unacceptable outcome.”
Reid has a career record of 136-90-1 and his 10 playoff wins are the 11th most in NFL history. But the Eagles haven’t won a playoff game since beating Minnesota and the New York Giants in consecutive road games in 2008.
The coach seemed unfazed by Lurie’s comments Thursday night.
“I don’t care about that stuff,” Reid said after the Eagles’ win. “He has high expectations. I have high expectations. Let’s go play. We surely won’t be satisfied with 8-8. We’re striving for better than that. I’m not worried about it. I understand the business. I have a great relationship with Jeffrey.”
Reid has endured a difficult preseason. His son, Garrett Reid, was found dead in his dorm room earlier this month at Lehigh University, where he was assisting the Eagles strength and conditioning coach during training camp. The 29-year-old was a recovering drug addict.
After the funeral, Lurie choked up talking to reporters.
“The team loves this man, Andy,” Lurie said. “It’s hard to explain. As a coach and a human, he is fully involved. He is one of these people that shares his life and his love and his passion for the football team and the extended family, and it is so appreciated by everybody that works for him. It’s not something you can see in press conferences, it’s not something you can see after a loss or a win, it’s just how he is as a person. He is just incredibly respected.”
–ESPN
