The Kansas City Chiefs, especially under Andy Reid, have been a coaching factory over the years. Numerous organizations employ former Chiefs coaches to varying degrees of success as Reid has one of the deepest trees of anyone in the NFL.
Reid's fingerprints are all over the league, and even the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have ex-Chiefs assistant Nick Sirianni. That doesn't mean that every man has been successful. Someone like current offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was fired from the Chicago Bears, for example, before returning to the organization that helped mold him.
Kansas City is obviously focused on its own team during training camp, but unfortunately, one successful former coach remains unemployed after being unceremoniously fired from his previous job.
Former Chiefs Coach Doug Pederson Still Unemployed with Season Approaching
Doug Pederson, who most recently served as the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach but spent the 2013-2015 seasons as Kansas City's offensive coordinator, is still trying to find a new gig. He was let go by the Jaguars following a disastrous 4-13 campaign in 2024, and it feels like that may have been his final opportunity to helm a franchise.
Jacksonville Jaguars fired Doug Pederson as their head coach, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2025
Pederson’s tenure in Jacksonville ends after three season and a 22-29 record, including 18 losses in the last 23 games. pic.twitter.com/MfAayhTcQz
Before joining Jacksonville, Pederson was with the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl in 2017 before eventually losing his job after 2020. He's widely considered to be a great offensive mind, though his schemes lacked imagination as time went on and Pederson struggled to make the necessary adjustments.
While Nagy has hoisted Lombardi Trophies since returning to Kansas City, it feels unlikely that Pederson would come back to the Chiefs in anything other than a consultant role. He dreams of being a head coach again, and there's no real path to accomplishing that as long as Reid, Nagy, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo are around.
Pederson has four playoff appearances under his belt as a head coach, including 2022 when his Jags fell short against the Chiefs. Arrogance and a strange loyalty to offensive coordinator Press Taylor sunk his teams, so it'd do Pederson some good to take a year off before trying his hand again with a new organization.
Many coaches are fired each and every year, and Pederson has a strong enough track record that he'll get another opportunity at some point. He'll likely have to prove himself once again as an offensive coordinator following the 2025 season to show he's learned from his mistakes, but it'd be stunning if Pederson doesn't wind up coaching again down the line.
It's common for coaches to re-evaluate their strategies before returning from a position of strength. We just saw that happen to New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, and that type of path wouldn't be surprising to see for Pederson.
For now, it's clear that Pederson won't be getting a job soon, yet he'll be a big name to watch for 2026.