Former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has interviewed for the vacant New Orleans Saints’ job, as first reported by CBS’s Jason La Canfora on Monday.
It is the fourth reported known interview that Pederson has had this year as he looks to jump back into the head-coaching game after taking the 2021 season off upon his dismissal from the Eagles.
He has also spoken with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.
The Saints are one of the more surprising teams in the head-coaching market — along with the Miami Dolphins after their peculiar decision to fire Brian Flores — after Sean Payton announced that he would be stepping away from coaching.
Payton spent 15 seasons with the Saints, winning Super Bowl XLIII.
Pederson’s resume understandably has created plenty of interest around the league. He led the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl victory in an upset over the New England Patriots at Super Bowl LII while backup quarterback Nick Foles was under center.
Over five seasons with the Eagles, Pederson went 42-37-1 with a 4-2 mark in the playoffs.
His ability to maximize the talent of his quarterbacks is another appealing aspect of Pederson’s history as a head coach. He almost led Carson Wentz to an MVP season while keeping the Eagles competitive when he went down with an injury — a testament to his work with Foles.
The Saints would provide a significant challenge for Pederson to help turn around. While they were in the playoff hunt in 2021, their quarterback situation is uncertain. Taysom Hill will return for the 2022 season, but he has never been given the keys to the No. 1 job for a full season — first under Drew Brees and then Jameis Winston, who attempted to fill the massive shoes of his predecessor following his retirement.
