Eagles players had to be 'held back' from Doug Pederson after Jalen Hurts benching, per report

Joe Rivera

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Eagles players had to be 'held back' from Doug Pederson after Jalen Hurts benching, per report image

Eagles players were reportedly ready to bring the hurt to Doug Pederson on Sunday night.

Media and fans were left scratching their heads when the Eagles' coach benched starting quarterback Jalen Hurts during Philly's 20-14 loss to the Washington Football Team, ending the Eagles' season on a sour note and handing WFT division crown.

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None, though, were more surprised with the benching than Eagles players: Some were so distraught by the move that they had to be "held back" from approaching Pederson, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

McLane reports that "two defensive players had to be held back" from Pederson after Hurts' benching, while center Jason Kelce and an unnamed player openly questioned Pederson on the sideline for the movie.

Hurts was caught on the sideline, visibly frustrated after the benching.

Everyone from NBC's Cris Collinsworth to Giants head coach Joe Judge were critical of Pederson's decision, with many calling Philly's special strategy an open and obvious attempt to tank the team's last game for a better draft pick. The Eagles now select No. 6 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Hurts was 7-for-20 passing for 74 yards and no touchdowns in the game, but had two rushing touchdowns. So, overall, it was a mixed bag for the rookie QB before the benching.

The Eagles' loss gave the Football Team the division crown, while, had they won, the NFC East would have gone to the Giants.

Really, confrontations and discussions with head coaches happen all the time in the NFL, so it's a perfectly understandable situation to have unfold with Philly. It's still highly questionable why Pederson decided to pull his starter with just a three-point deficit, but Nate Sudfeld was reportedly in the plans for the Eagles' season finale.

The Eagles are entering the offseason with more questions than answers at quarterback — and maybe even more questions at head coach after Sunday.

Joe Rivera

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Joe Rivera is in his seventh year with The Sporting News, handling NFL, MLB and some things pro wrestling. A proud-ish Rutgers University graduate, Rivera combines a new-school flair with an old-school soul. He loves dingers, wrestling, comic books, movies, music and really bad puns. He is also a card-carrying BBWAA member and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater.

You can find him and tweet him @JoeRiveraSN, if you're into that sort of thing.