PHILADELPHIA — Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson has accepted the Philadelphia Eagles’ offer to become their coach, a person with knowledge of the decision said.
Pederson can’t be hired as long as the Chiefs are in the playoffs, and Kansas City plays at the New England Patriots on Saturday.
Pederson started nine games at quarterback for the Eagles in 1999 and began his coaching career as an assistant under Andy Reid in Philadelphia in 2009. Pederson followed Reid to Kansas City in 2013.
Philadelphia also interviewed Adam Gase, who was hired by the Miami Dolphinas; Ben McAdoo, who was hired by the New York Giants; former Giants coach Tom Coughlin; and Pat Shurmur and Duce Staley, two of the Eagles’ assistant coaches last season.
Kelly, hired as the San Francisco 49ers’ coach on Thursday, was fired in the final week of the season, when the Eagles were 6-9. They went 10-6 in each of his first two seasons in charge, making the playoffs in 2013.
Pederson, 47, was the fifth candidate to interview for the Eagles job. He met with the team in Kansas City last Sunday morning after the Chiefs beat the Houston Texans to advance to the second round.
Pederson played 10 NFL seasons almost exclusively as a backup quarterback. He was with Miami, the Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia and the Cleveland Browns. He made nine starts for Philadelphia in 1999, going 2-7, and went 1-7 as a starter for the Browns the following season.
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