Talk of Doug Pederson being named the AP NFL Coach of the Year has ramped up as the Jacksonville Jaguars continue to make an unlikely run from the worst team in the NFL for two straight years into one of eight teams that can win Super Bowl LVII.
One of his supporters will be on the opposite sideline Saturday when the Jaguars play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
“Tremendous coaching job,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Pederson on Tuesday, via Chiefs Wire. “Phenomenal coaching job. I’d imagine he’s up for the Coach of the Year by his performance and how he’s resurrected that program there. That’s not an easy thing to do, and he’s done it as well or better than anybody.”
Reid, 64, earned the award in 2002 while he was with the Philadelphia Eagles. While he hasn’t received the honor since joining the Chiefs, he led a similar program resurrection in 2013 when he took over in Kansas City. A year after the Chiefs finished 2-14, Reid led the team to an 11-5 record in his first season.
Last week, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy revealed that he already voted for Pederson to win Coach of the Year honors.
Voting for the award occurs after the conclusion of the regular season, so Jacksonville’s postseason performance won’t have any impact on Pederson’s chances of winning.
His main competitors for the award are likely Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles, Brian Daboll of the New York Giants, and Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions.
