The Philadelphia Eagles have fired Doug Pederson, which naturally means the New York Jets rumors must immediately begin.
Joe Douglas strikes most New York Jets fans as a fastball-type of general manager. What you see is what you get. No fuss, no drama. Just plain-speaking and a results-driven attitude.
But what happens when a curveball is presented?
Could Douglas resemble Candy Cummings (the unofficial founder of the curveball in the early 1870s) as opposed to Nolan Ryan by the time it’s all said and done?
On Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles fired Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson, according to various sources including ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Naturally, the Pederson-to-the-Jets rumors were instantly sparked thanks to Douglas’s relationship with the recently-fired head coach.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes it “makes a lot of sense.”
Jets/Doug Pederson partnership makes a lot of sense. He had a horrible 2020 campaign but he's a SB winning HC and has a great relationship with Joe Douglas.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 11, 2021
Pederson, 52, experienced a horrible 2020 campaign in Philly, but it was his first really awful season in five tries.
Arriving in 2016, Pederson led the Eagles, with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, to a 7-9 record. They stunned the football world by winning the organization’s first Super Bowl a year later. The Philly Special, with Nick Foles capping things, will be remembered forever.
Unfortunately, despite two 9-7 seasons following the stunning championship, Pederson hasn’t elevated Wentz to the level everybody within the organization anticipated. It’s a problem worth investigating, especially when considering his background.
Pederson spent 10 seasons in the NFL as a backup quarterback. The Miami Dolphins signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1991, but he had problems sticking. Pederson dressed in seven games for the Dolphins in 1993 and even played in the World League of American Football for a season before landing with the Green Bay Packers—where his relationship with Andy Reid truly took shape.
The highlight of his playing days came as the third quarterback to Brett Favre and backup Jim McMahon, winning the Super Bowl in 1997 (the 1996 NFL season). The Reid coaching disciple and Douglas crossed paths in Philadelphia when they both landed there in 2016.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also chimed in on the Pederson-to-the-Jets possibility.
Former Eagles’ HC Doug Pederson has a strong relationship with Jets’ GM Joe Douglas, which could put one more HC candidate in play for the NYJ.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2021
Thus far, New York has interviewed eight candidates. Former Jet Aaron Glenn is expected to be the ninth candidate (interviewing on Monday). Although Douglas and Christopher Johnson made sure not to set a hiring timetable, some would argue Pederson’s availability comes at a late stage of the process.
FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer is another big media name who’s connected the dots.
Keep an eye on Doug Pederson and the Jets where he has a great relationship with GM Joe Douglas
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 11, 2021
At this stage, Jets fans are fending off frantic bouts of panic. The negative reports about Pederson as of late bring a dark cloud over the prospect of him as the next head coach.
Then again, part of the reason it didn’t work out in Philly, according to Pederson, is that he was “tired of people telling him what to do,” per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
After speaking with two people close to former #Eagles coach Doug Pederson, it sounds like this is what it boiled down: Pederson was sick of people telling him what to do.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 11, 2021
Interestingly, Pederson and the Eagles (perhaps with Howie Roseman’s influence) reminded the NFL world what tanking really is in Week 17. After the Jets—the media’s season-long tanking poster boys—fought hard late in the season, Pederson pulled Jalen Hurts in favor of Nate Sudfeld. It allowed the Washington Football Team easy entry into the NFL playoffs. Now, the marriage is over.
Considering the existing relationship between Douglas and Pederson, it shouldn’t shock anybody if the Super Bowl-winning head coach is brought in for an interview. It also shouldn’t shock anybody if Douglas passes on Pederson at this point. In any event, the process still needs to unfold.
Add one more name to the potential head-coaching candidate pile.
