Doug Pederson, the coach who led Philadelphia to its first and only Super Bowl in 2017, will interview for Jacksonville’s head-coaching job later this week, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Jaguars will also interview former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell as the team seeks a replacement for Urban Meyer, who was fired earlier this month after a disastrous 13-game run in Duval.
Along with Pederson and Caldwell, the Jaguars have requested interviews with Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Bowles and Quinn both come with prior head-coaching experience, overseeing the Jets and Falcons, respectively. Hackett has ties to Jacksonville, owing to his past stint as offensive coordinator under head coach Doug Marrone, as does Leftwich, the fourth-leading passer in Jaguars franchise history.
Pederson, who spent 13 seasons in the league as a backup quarterback for Green Bay (where he won a Super Bowl in 1996), Philadelphia, Miami and Cleveland, cut his teeth as an assistant under Andy Reid before graduating to head-coach status with the Eagles in 2016. Pederson reached the playoffs in three of his five seasons with Philadelphia, gaining cult status for outwitting his New England counterpart Bill Belichick in Super Bowl LII. Pederson’s “Philly Special,” a risky fourth-down play that saw tight end Trey Burton complete a touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles, forever cemented his status as an Eagles and Philly sports icon.
Pederson could be courted by multiple teams during this year’s coaching cycle with expected openings in Las Vegas (the result of Jon Gruden’s ouster for offensive emails leaked earlier this season), Chicago and perhaps Carolina with Matt Nagy and Matt Rhule both on the hot seat. The trio of Pete Carroll (Seahawks), Vic Fangio (Broncos) and Mike Zimmer (Vikings) may also have to sweat out Black Monday. Vegas should be of particular interest to Pederson, who is close with GM and former Eagles color commentator Mike Mayock.
Throughout his Eagles tenure, Pederson was often undermined by owner Jeff Lurie and GM Howie Roseman, who refused to cede roster control or even allow the 53-year-old to choose his own coaching staff. Pederson did himself no favors with his lethargic play-calling and poor handling of the team’s quarterback situation involving Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts, though by season’s end, it was clear both sides needed a change.
Given his past success in Philadelphia, Pederson would seem to be an obvious upgrade over Meyer, whose outsized ego and condescending attitude toward players and other coaches led to his downfall. With cap space galore ($69.2 million) and a promising young quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville could enjoy a quick turnaround with the right coaching staff in place.
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