Doug Pederson and New York Jets general manager, Joe Douglas have a history. They won a Super Bowl together, and those are nice memories that should stay tucked away in a drawer, and the best thing Douglas can do is stay away, but he probably won’t.
With Adam Gase gone, Douglas finally has the freedom to hire a coach. Aaron Glenn, Saints defensive back coach and former Jets star, would be a solid choice, and I’m glad they interviewed him. Pederson used to be “that guy” who had plays few had, the RPO’s and such, but that’s faded over the years. Nick Foles won that Super Bowl game. He made the call, not the coach. Let’s not forget that fact.
Frank Reich was the quarterback guru that probably allowed Pederson to shine, and when he left, things weren’t the same. The former Eagles coach put all of his eggs in the Carson Wentz basket, and that looked promising until injuries started to tear away at his effectiveness and the kind of quarterback he used to be.
Pederson is a great offensive coordinator but not a great head coach. Sure, guys like him when he’s joking around, but in the last few years, he would become very defensive in press conferences, and in good times and bad, the same thing would happen in New York.
I predicted on my podcast “Jets Rehab” if Pederson were fired, the Jets would be the “hot rumor”. When Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie explained why he fired Pederson, he dropped the idea that he could be with another organization this week! The only organization that would hire him that fast would be the Jets because they’re used to making big mistakes.
Would Pederson try and fix Sam Darnold, or would he ask for a veteran? That’s the usual reflex for the Jets to do when they don’t think they have their franchise quarterback. Would Pederson want Brett Favre on his coaching staff? He talks to the Hall of Famer a lot but Favre had a bad misstep when he played for Gang Green.
It’s easy to blame the general manager for coaches’ failures. I see it a lot with the Jets, but at the end of the day, the coach has to make the most out of the team he’s given. Pederson didn’t do that this year, so what kinds of demands will be made in New York?
Pederson is a nice guy. Too nice, and that’s why he had a hard time concealing the tank that occurred in the team’s final game, and I think that the Eagles’ ownership was embarrassed and made Pederson the scapegoat, that was unfair, but this coach should have been fired before that.
Douglas made a mistake that he might pay for this season. He didn’t field the best team for Sam Darnold and the Jets, so he could save against the salary cap. The only issue is when a new coach comes into a Jets interview, and sees the lack of talent on the roster, how does Douglas convince that coach to come to his team? Douglas knew Gase would be fired this season. He should have seen that coming last season even though ownership wasn’t ready to do that.
The Jets are at a pivotal point. They’re not a new team. Pederson needs a now team, not a team that’s a few years away from doing anything in the NFL. This would be a bad fit for both.
