Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is reportedly the leading candidate for the Philadelphia Eagles head coaching position, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Eagles fired head coach Chip Kelly on Tuesday this week and have named offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as their interim head coach. The Eagles have already interviewed within their own organization, as the team has confirmed that running backs coach Duce Staley interviewed on Friday. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is leading the search committee for Philadelphia's next head coach, and Pederson has experience in the Eagles organization, as he was an offensive assistant to Andy Reid from 2009 to 2012.
Pederson went with Reid to Kansas City and has been the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs since 2013. What Kansas City has done this season is nothing short of remarkable, as they started the season with a record of 1-5 and have since won nine straight and have already clinched a playoff spot.
Franchises around the league are clearly taking notice of what Pederson is doing with the Chiefs offense, as quarterback Alex Smith has already thrown for a career-high 3,330 passing yards and still faces the Oakland Raiders this weekend. Kansas City also lost their star running back Jamaal Charles earlier in the season, and somehow they are currently ranked seventh in the league in rushing yards per game.
The Chiefs offense has continued to roll despite injuries, and Pederson will likely be highly sought as a head coaching candidate this offseason. It makes sense that Eagles may want to return to the Andy Reid coaching tree, given the amount of success they had during his tenure. While Pederson may reportedly be the top coaching candidate in Philadelphia, there is no guarantee that he will want to return after departing with Reid the first time.
