New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz once appeared destined to be the NFL’s next dynamic coach/quarterback combo.
Pederson, who was named the Eagles head coach in 2016, spent the No. 2 overall pick on Wentz in the 2016 NFL draft. While there were some ups and downs, Wentz looked like a future star.
Then, in 2017, everything clicked. Wentz was on his way to becoming the NFL MVP until a knee injury in Week 14 changed the entire trajectory of his career — and Pederson’s.
While Pederson would go on to lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl championship with backup quarterback Nick Foles that season, the next year would begin a bumpy three years for both. After the 2020 season, Pederson was fired, and Wentz was traded.
Pederson sat out the 2021 season while Wentz played for the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts gave up on Wentz after 17 games, and now he’s in Washington, and Pederson is in Jacksonville with his latest prized quarterback pupil in Trevor Lawrence.
Now, the two will face one another for the first time in the NFL as Wentz’s Commanders host Pederson and the Jaguars in Week 1.
How will it be for Pederson facing his old quarterback?
“It’s going to be fun, Pederson said. “It’s been a while, been a year since I saw him last with Indianapolis last year, and he’s a great player. We drafted him there in Philly in ’16, and it’s going to be fun to watch him play; and obviously, he’s on the other side, and we want to win, but he’s a competitor, he’s going to do everything in his power to win that football game as well, and I’m looking forward to competing against him.”
After Wentz was traded, some said there was a fractured relationship between Wentz and Pederson, something Pederson denied earlier this offseason.
When asked if he thought Wentz had lost confidence since their time together, Pederson wanted no part of that question.
“It’s hard,” Pederson said. “I’ve answered a ton of questions about that. I think, honestly, he’s better suited to answer those. I just know that every decision we make is for the best interest of the team. Now that we’re here in Jacksonville, that’s what we do, and all I know is that Carson is the starting quarterback there, and we’ve got to prepare. He’s athletic, a big guy, and if you get a chance to tackle him, you’ve got to get him on the ground; he can make you pay with his legs. I think he does play with a lot of confidence, honestly, and those guys around him will definitely support him.”
That was a long non-answer, but it was the right answer. What would Pederson gain by saying he thought Wentz had lost confidence?
We look forward to hearing what Wentz has to say about facing his old coach this week.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]