The Philadelphia Eagles put to bed the Doug Pederson era on Monday after announcing that the franchise has fired the head coach who led them to a Super Bowl LIII victory just three years ago. Given that Lombardi Trophy shining off Pederson's résumé, it won't be totally surprising to see the 52-year-old be in demand by the number of clubs that have a coaching vacancy throughout the league. One team that may be of particular note, is the New York Jets.
As the news broke surrounding Pederson and the end to his tenure in Philly, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network specifically noted the Jets, who fired Adam Gase at the end of the 2020 regular season, as a possible destination for him. Pederson is also now the favorite to land the New York gig, according to the oddsmakers at SportsLine.
Here's a look at the full list of favorites to be the next head coach for Gang Green:
- Doug Pederson +400
- Brandon Staley +600
- Eric Bieniemy +700
- Arthur Smith +900
- Brian Daboll +1000
- Robert Saleh +1200
- Matt Eberflus +1300
- Aaron Glenn +1500
- Joe Brady +1800
- Marvin Lewis +2000
Outside of the Eagles, the Jaguars, Falcons, Texans, Lions, and Chargers are the teams looking for a new head coach along with the Jets. It's possible -- if not likely -- that Pederson will have multiple interviews lined up for a number of those opportunities over the coming days and weeks. New York, however, does have some attractive aspects to it compared to some of those other spots.
Along with being in a major market, the Jets own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and have the second-highest amount of cap space entering free agency this offseason. Those assets, along with the potential trade of quarterback Sam Darnold, give GM Joe Douglas and whoever comes in as the next head coach tremendous flexibility to craft a roster that can begin contending in the AFC in relatively short order, so long as they push the right buttons.
The Jets have reportedly brought in nine guys to interview for that open spot as head coach, including Bills OC Brian Daboll, Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy and ex-Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. With that in mind, Pederson, who went 42-37-1 over his tenure with the Eagles, likely would have some competition if New York ended up being his preferred destination.
