LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Bears coach Matt Nagy took his familiar place 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage Saturday, hands on both knees and watching closely as rookie quarterback Justin Fields led the second-team offense.
Standing behind Nagy was a familiar face, wearing a white Bears visor. It was former Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who's out of coaching for the first time since 2005. Having been fired by Philadelphia in January, Pederson is visiting Halas Hall for a weekend with a close friend in Nagy.
"For me, it's nice even when we get off the field," Nagy said of Pederson. "He comes in and we watch some tape. It's good to just talk head football coach stuff. I like hearing his ideas on stuff, whether it's in practice, ideas, schedule ideas, game day stuff. For me, I respect who he is, how he does things."
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Nagy and Pederson worked together with the Eagles under coach Andy Reid from 2009-'12, then each followed Reid to the Kansas City Chiefs, where they continued working together from 2013-'15. When Pederson left to become Eagles coach in 2016, Reid promoted Nagy to his role as offensive coordinator.
Pederson led the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship in February 2018, just a month after Nagy was hired as Bears coach. Their two teams met in the playoffs in January 2019, with Pederson's Eagles earning a 16-15 victory against the Bears in a wild-card game at Soldier Field.
The Eagles fired Pederson after they went 4-11-1 last season. He was 42-37-1 over five seasons in Philadelphia.
Pederson, 53, isn't with the Bears just to observe practice. He stood alongside the offense, collaborating with players and coaches throughout practice. As Fields led the second-team offense, Pederson was having a conversation with someone he knows well: third-string Bears quarterback Nick Foles, who led the Eagles to their win in Super Bowl LII.
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Despite Pederson's dismissal from the Eagles, his success still lives on in Philadelphia, where a statue of his and Foles' likeness sits outside Lincoln Financial Field.
Pederson should be back to coaching by next season in some form. But with his current time away from a team, he and Nagy are finding it beneficial to collaborate once again.
"The guy won a Super Bowl," Nagy said. "It's nice to have a friend here. And it helps him out too."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.