Doug Pederson started winning over the hearts and minds of Jacksonville Jaguars fans by turning things around for the team as soon as he joined. However, the decorated coach said that the Eagles and the city of Philadelphia will always have a special place in his heart.
Won Super Bowl LII with the Eagles in 2017
Pederson won the first and only Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 but parted ways with the franchise in 2020. On Sunday, he will be making his Philadelphia return when the Jaguars pay a visit to the undefeated Eagles in one of the most interesting NFL games of Week 4.
Pederson said that his wife and him, as well as their family, had fond memories of Philadelphia. He added that they spent eight or nine years in the city and brought Philly fans “something to be proud of.”
The former Eagles coach went on to say that he understood the city and the passion for football, so he was looking forward to his return. However, he was aware that he was now on the other side so he hoped fans would give him a warm welcome.
Pederson spent five seasons in the Philadelphia Eagles hot seat, from 2016 to 2020. During his time in the city of brotherly love, the Jacksonville coach guided the Eagles to three playoffs, one of which was that memorable 2017 Super Bowl win.
That triumph turned Pederson into a legendary figure in Philadelphia and the city even erected a statue of him and quarterback Nick Foles, the duo most responsible for the “Philly Special” play that made winning Super Bowl LII possible.
Best Start of the NFL Season for the Jaguars since 2018
Despite his 2017 Super Bowl heroics, Pederson was given the sack in 2020. It was around that time that the Jaguars went all in for their former coach Urban Meyer. However, Meyer didn’t even make it a full season as a Jaguars head coach, and Pederson was the man to replace him.
After the Jaguars’ impressive start of the season, their best since 2018, Pederson is already on par with Meyer when it comes to Jaguars wins. They both have two. However, Pederson needed only three games to achieve that feat as opposed to Meyer’s thirteen.
Pederson will hope to make it three out of four when he returns to his old home. The 54-year-old said that the Jaguars were feeling good but that they took it one game at a time.
The Jaguars coach made it clear that there was still a lot of football in front of them, and even though they were all pleased with the direction they were going in, they wouldn’t look “past the current week.”
