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Barring a miracle, the Chicago Bears are going to be in the market for a new head coach when the regular season concludes. After four seasons, Matt Nagy is likely headed out the door, and naturally, there has been endless talk about his potential replacements.
Adam Hoge of NBC Sports, who is one of the most well-respected Bears insiders working, dropped a name that could ruffle the feathers of some fans due to his connection to Nagy: former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
Pederson, who has strong personal and professional ties to Nagy, visited the Bears’ training camp in August, has been out of football this year after, but is expected to garner significant interest from teams looking for new head coaches. The Jacksonville Jaguars have already scheduled an interview with the 53-year-old former Eagles coach, per insider Ian Rapoport and there will surely be more to follow.
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Hoge: Pederson ‘Already Has Some Intel’ On Situation in Chicago
Pederson worked with Nagy in Philadelphia with the Eagles from 2009-2012, and again in Kansas City from 2013-2015. He won Super Bowl LII with the Eagles in his second year as the team’s head coach, and Philly made the playoffs two seasons after that, but he was fired after finishing 4-11-1 in a disappointing 2020 campaign.
Hoge seems to think coaching in Chicago with rookie QB Justin Fields waiting in the wings would be something Pederson would strongly consider.
“Pederson might be a controversial candidate for the Bears job because of his ties to Nagy and the connection to the same offensive system that has failed for the last four seasons, but he also has a Super Bowl ring and would minimize the amount of offensive transition that Fields would have to deal with under a new head coach,” Hoge wrote on December 27. “Pederson visited Halas Hall for a couple days during training camp and was involved in practice and meetings during that time, so he already has some intel on what he would be dealing with in Chicago.”
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Would Pederson Be a Good Fit in Chicago?
Pederson went 42-37 in the regular season as head coach of the Eagles, and 4-2 in postseason play. His experience is attractive — first time head coaches are always a scary prospect — and he has history working with young QBs, which is a plus.
Here’s a look at Pederson’s coaching resumé:
- Calvary Baptist Academy (2005–2008) — Head coach
- Philadelphia Eagles (2009–2010) — Offensive quality control
- Philadelphia Eagles (2011–2012) — Quarterbacks coach
- Kansas City Chiefs (2013–2015) — Offensive coordinator
- Philadelphia Eagles (2016–2020) — Head coach
As a player, Pederson spent 13 years in the NFL as a quarterback, backing up the likes of Dan Marino and Brett Favre. His ties to Nagy may understandably be too much for many fans to digest, but the Bears could do a lot worse that a former Super Bowl winner.
“At this point, I don’t have any knowledge that the Bears would be interested in Pederson, and, given his friendship with Nagy, he might not even be interested in the Bears,” Hoge added. “But this is just one example of a candidate to keep an eye on over the next two weeks as the Bears opt to play out the rest of the regular season.”
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