There's no knowing for certain just how badly the Philadelphia Eagles wanted Tom Coughlin. Or Adam Gase. Or Ben McAdoo. Or John Harbaugh or Jon Gruden. But it sounds like they have little to no chance of landing any of the aforementioned names. As such, it sounds more and more likely that former Eagles quarterback and current Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson will become the target as the next head coach in Philadelphia. ESPN's Adam Schefter, shortly after breaking the news that Coughlin had withdrawn his name from consideration for the Eagles job, revealed that with the former Big Blue boss out, Pederson is expected to be pursued as the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
With Tom Coughlin out of the picture, the Eagles now are expected to pursue Chiefs OC Doug Pederson as their next head coach, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2016
Pederson was a surprise candidate for Philly during this process. There have been no reports or even inklings of interest from other NFL teams searching for a head coach.
Pederson, who played for the Dolphins, Packers, Eagles and Browns during his professional career, has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2013 after two years as the Philly quarterback's coach. Pederson has helped the Chiefs offense become one of the safest, most efficient groups in the league this year, though head coach Andy Reid, formerly of Philadelphia fame, calls the plays.
Pederson spoke with reporters recently ahead of the Chiefs' playoff game this weekend against the Patriots and said that he thought his interview with Jeffrey Lurie & Co. went "great."
"They're still in the process," Pederson told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "From what I'm hearing they have stopped all their interviews and now it's just a matter of them getting together collectively and making a decision."
Reports early Wednesday indicated that Coughlin and the Eagles were beginning to intensify their negotiations and that it was looking more and more likely that the 69-year-old veteran coach would be making the jump from the Giants to the Eagles. But with Coughlin abruptly withdrawing his name from consideration, it sure sounds like Eagles fans very well could be cheering for a team led by Pederson in the not-too-distant future.
