Bears Rumors: Former Eagles HC Doug Pederson Among Candidates to Replace Matt Nagy

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The Chicago Bears are reportedly seeking an interview with a Super Bowl champion as part of their search for a head coach. 

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Chicago plans to interview Doug Pederson, who was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016 through 2020 and helped them win a Lombardi Trophy during the 2017 campaign.

Pelissero also noted Pederson is a candidate for the vacant Jacksonville Jaguars coaching position.

The Bears announced they fired general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy on Monday.

While Philadelphia fired Pederson after the 2020 campaign, his tenure with the team was a success. He finished with a 42-37-1 record and made the playoffs in three of his five seasons, including the Super Bowl effort.

He also has an offensive background since he was the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs prior to joining the Eagles.

That could be of note in Chicago since the team has been in search of a franchise quarterback for years. Justin Fields may be the answer after the Bears selected him with a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but he was inconsistent and dealt with injuries during his rookie season.

Maximizing Fields’ ability to make plays with his legs and arm will be critical for whoever the next Bears head coach is, and Pederson was at the helm in Philadelphia when Carson Wentz played his best football of his career as an MVP candidate before tearing his ACL.

The offense also didn’t experience a significant drop-off with Nick Foles, who led the team to the Super Bowl.

The Bears are coming off a 6-11 campaign, but the presence of Fields could be a significant selling point for coaching candidates. If he lives up to his potential, the organization could have a young franchise quarterback in place on a rookie contract, which would allow it to improve other areas of the roster.

Pederson has found success coaching quarterbacks in the past and was an NFL quarterback himself from 1993 through 2004 for the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Eagles and Cleveland Browns.