The Jets’ search for a new head coach had an interesting problem on Monday.
The Eagles fired coach Doug Pederson, which prompted immediate speculation from fans and media that the Jets might be interested in him. The connection is easy to make. Jet general manager Joe Douglas worked in Philadelphia with Pederson from 2016 to 19 and the two won a Super Bowl together in 2017.
Douglas has publicly praised Pederson, but there is nothing more than speculation at the moment that Douglas would be interested in hiring Pederson. The Jets interviewed the Titans ‘offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, and Saints’ secondary coach, Aaron Glenn, on Monday. This totals nine known candidates who were interviewed.
The Jets set out to carry out a broad search and moved on. They interviewed candidates with experience on both sides of the ball. They interviewed only one candidate with previous experience as a head coach – Marvin Lewis.
The belief that the Jets would take the chance to hire Pederson is incorrect. This does not mean that he will not be a candidate. They could interview you and eventually hire you. But it is not for nothing that Pederson will be the next coach of the Jets, as some are making it seem. Just because Douglas and Pederson worked together does not mean that Douglas wants him as his coach.
There have been several reports that Douglas and Pederson have a strong relationship, and Douglas praised Pederson on the Adam Schefter podcast in 2019.
“Exactly how Doug handled his first year,” said Douglas. “We started 3-0, things were going very well, we lost some guys, we hit some holes on the way, we ended the season in 7-9 and the way he attacked that off season and how he managed to unify the team with his message. And the type of guy he is, is the most genuine and authentic person you will ever meet. He’s a guy who says what he wants and wants to say what he says, and the players believe in him and believe in his aggressive mentality, so I love how he managed the team ”.
Pederson, 52, is a better known entity than most of the coaches the Jets interviewed. He went 42-37-1 in five years with the Eagles and 4-2 in the playoffs, including the team’s only Super Bowl victory after the 2017 season.
The Eagles hit rock bottom this season, going 4-11-1 and defender Carson Wentz had a terrible year. The Eagles’ property would have concerns about the direction of the crime and Pederson’s vision for the future, particularly with his team. There were also reports of disagreement between Wentz and Pederson and a belief that the two could no longer coexist. Pederson ended the season with one of the most curious coach decisions in memory, quarterback Jalen Hurts’ reserve bench against Washington, when the game was still in the hands of reserve Nate Sudfeld. It looked like Pederson was trying to lose the game on purpose, which infuriated many, including some of his players and many fans of the Giants and their coach, Joe Judge.
The Jets may also be reluctant to hire a technician who has just been fired. They did this two years ago with Adam Gase and the reaction of the fans was extremely negative. The Jets should not be involved in the perception of this hiring, but they can, after the experience of the last two years with how unpopular Gase was.
The Eagles’ opening now means that there are seven teams in the NFL with a head coach spot. The Jets no longer have interviews scheduled. It seems that now they will regroup and decide whether to add more candidates, including Pederson, or to invite coaches for a second interview. The first round of interviews was done remotely. It is believed that the Jets will bring some finalists for personal interviews in Florham Park, but coaches of teams that are still alive in the playoffs cannot interview in person.