Coming into the head coaching carousel, one of the biggest names on the market was former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. The Jacksonville Jaguars were reported to even have Pederson listed as their favorite candidate before the regular season was over.

Fast forward a month later, and after talking with only the Bears and the Jaguars, Pederson no longer appears to be in consideration for either head coaching jobs. Jacksonville has moved onto their second round of interviews, and the Super Bowl-winning coach was not among the candidates.

It’s unknown what happened, but it’s pretty odd that nearly all the teams looking for a coach were interested, but almost none of them ever formally spoke with Pederson.

The best guess is what happened with Pederson and the Eagles last offseason occurred again. After the 2020 season, Jeffrey Lurie was going to give the Eagles’ HC another chance, but also needed to overhaul Pederson’s coaching staff. Guys like Press Taylor needed to go, however Pederson, who is loyal to a fault, refused to let that happen, and it ultimately led to his departure.

Why Pederson wanted to keep one of the worst assistants in franchise history is baffling, but to then potentially double down on it when given a second shot is insane. Taylor did land on his feet, becoming Frank Reich’s offensive assistant in Indianapolis. Indy proved Lurie and the Eagles right, with Wentz’s “best friend” once again failing to make him a half-decent quarterback.

Pederson’s chances to land a job this season look very slim, with at least three teams on the cusp of hiring a new head coach. Who knows, maybe it was the other way around and Pederson wanted to go into the right situation so he punted another season, waiting for the perfect opportunity down the road.

Things could change after Saints head coach Sean Payton abruptly stepped away yesterday afternoon. But with how this carousel has gone, it’s likely New Orleans will be looking for a young hot-shot coordinator to help rebuild instead of an established presence.

Although Dougie P likely isn’t returning this season, other Eagles could be landing a head coaching gig. Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon is in the lead for the Texans opening, with former Pederson quarterback Josh McCown also in the running.

Mandatory Credit: Nj.com