Chicago Bears Stock Report: These coaching candidates are on the move

Chicago Bears Head Coach Candidate: Doug Pederson – Stock Rising

Last Week: Stock Neutral

Personally, I would not say that Doug Pederson’s stock is rising. However, I cannot ignore the fact that he’s getting plenty of attention in the rumor mill. One of our writers, Cody Young, recently covered Doug Pederson in his coaching carousel series. Most people know of Pederson because of his Super Bowl run with the Eagles back in 2017.

Too much of Pederson’s early history reminds me of Matt Nagy. Both were quarterbacks who never amounted to much. Pederson at least had a 10-year career in the NFL as a backup, while Matt Nagy never made it and had to play in the Arena Football League. As coaches, they both came in under Andy Reid in Philadelphia. Matt Nagy came in as a coaching intern and worked his way up to take over for Pederson who started as the offensive quality control coach.

In fact, Matt Nagy followed Doug Pederson’s track almost exactly. In 2011, Pederson was promoted to quarterbacks coach. This is when Nagy took over as the offensive quality control coach. Then, in 2013, both followed Andy Reid to Kansas City where Pederson was promoted to offensive coordinator and Nagy was promoted to quarterbacks coach. It didn’t take Nagy long to earn the offensive coordinator job after Pederson left to be head coach of the Eagles.

I do trust Pederson as a head coach more now than I would Matt Nagy or the next in line in Kansas City — Eric Bieniemy — but I also wouldn’t put him on the Chicago Bears shortlist.