Getty New York Jets coach Adam Gase
It seems like a no-brainer with the benefit of hindsight. Back in 2016, it was anything but a lock that Doug Pederson would be the Eagles’ next head coach.
Four short years ago, Adam Gase was the first person to interview for the Philadelphia job when the search to replace Chip Kelly began. He was an energetic coach with a decent pedigree as an innovative play-caller, plus he was drawing comparisons to a young Andy Reid. Gase was the kind of guy that owner Jeffrey Lurie liked and had really high on his radar. Then, Kelly swept everyone in the Eagles’ organization off their collective feet.
The rest is history. Bad history.
Gase has reflected on the experience before, most notably when his Dolphins met the Eagles in a preseason game in 2017. The coach had been impressed with Lurie and GM Howie Roseman and would have relished the opportunity to land the job.
“It was a good experience just to get around,” Gase said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I knew Howie but meeting a lot of different people from the organization. Just the questions they were asking, kind of the culture they were looking to reestablish, and just a good day to have a conversation about all those types of things.
“A lot of questions coming up on things. Usually, when you go in those interviews, something always comes up that you learn from that you have not necessarily prepared yourself for and you kind of have to think on the fly. I thought they asked a lot of good questions and it was just a good conversation going back and forth.”
The Eagles ultimately chose Pederson over Gase despite a solid interview. Gase famously flamed out in Miami, but he did lead the Dolphins to a playoff berth in his first season there. Now, he is in charge of an uninspired 0-3 Jets team. Meanwhile, Pederson has guided the Eagles to two playoff appearances in three years, including that elusive Super Bowl ring. Things kind of worked out.
Former #Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi doesn’t seem to miss his former coach Adam Gase very much #Eagles #SBOpeningNight #SBLII
Is Tim Jernigan Rehabbing Ahead of Schedule?
Eagles defensive tackle Tim Jernigan was expected to miss between four and six weeks with a broken foot. On Tuesday, Jernigan posted a video in which he appears to be showing off the walking boot removed from his leg. Obviously, this is good news for an Eagles defense that has struggled to sack the quarterback without him. The Eagles only have three sacks this season — and Jernigan has one of those.
The Eagles had been counting on the six-year veteran to step in for Malik Jackson on the interior of the defensive line. Jackson suffered a Lisfranc sprain on the final defensive drive in the season opener against Washington. He was lost for the season before Jernigan incurred his own debilitating foot injury one week later in Atlanta.
“I plan to pick up right where I left off at,” Jernigan told reporters during training camp. “I feel like I’m in better shape. My body feels better. I’m a little bit lighter. I feel quicker. It’s going to be interesting to see.”
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