Doug Pederson

The Jaguars fired the previous man at the helm Urban Meyer back in December after a tumultuous 13-game spell in charge.

Super Bowl-winning coach Pederson was first interviewed by the Jags on December 30 and had a second one on Tuesday. Having spent the 2021 season out of the game, he has now secured a return to the NFL.

The 54-year-old previously spent five seasons at the Philadelphia Eagles between 2016 and 2020, making three playoff appearances and ending with a 42-37-1 record.

It was the 2017 season that was the jewel in Pederson's crown when, after going 13-3 in the regular season, the Eagles survived the loss of starting quarterback Carson Wentz to get through the playoffs and win Super Bowl LII 41-33 against the New England Patriots with backup QB Nick Foles.

Two more playoff appearances would follow but after going 4-11-1 in 2020, Pederson was fired at the end of that season.

"Doug Pederson four years ago won a Super Bowl as head coach of a franchise in pursuit of its first world championship," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said via a team statement. 

"I hope Doug can replicate that magic here in Jacksonville, but what is certain is his proven leadership and experience as a winning head coach in the National Football League. It's exactly what our players deserve. Nothing less.

"Combine this with his acumen on the offensive side of the ball, and you have why I am proud to name Doug Pederson the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"I know our fans will warmly welcome Doug and his family to Duval and I personally look forward to having Doug as part of everything we envision for the team, downtown and community in the years ahead."

Mayer's brief tenure was riddled with issues, which included two videos going viral showing him dancing close a woman who was not his wife in Ohio in October.

There were reports of tensions between Meyer and the Jaguars players and coaches which included former kicker Josh Lambo alleging the head coach had kicked him in the leg while stretching in warm-ups prior to a practice.

Pederson inherits a team with a miserable record for over a decade. The Jaguars have lost 10 or more games in 10 of the of their previous 11 seasons, and have gone 4-29 over the previous two which included a 20-game losing streak – representing the second longest in the history of the NFL.

They went 3-14 in 2021 and will have the first pick in the NFL Draft.

The Eagles said Super Bowl-winning coach Pederson is asymptomatic and currently in self-quarantine after contracting COVID-19.

It comes after Eagles star and three-time Pro Bowler Lane Johnson was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday following his coronavirus diagnosis.

"We received confirmation this evening that head coach Doug Pederson tested positive for COVID-19," the Eagles said in a statement.

"Pederson is asymptomatic and doing well. He is currently in self-quarantine and in communication with the team's medical staff.

"The organisation is following the protocols established by the NFL and the NFLPA.

"Any individuals in close contact with Pederson at our facility have been notified and will continue with daily testing procedures and compliance with all protocols before returning to the facility."

The Eagles will face the Washington Football Team in week one of the NFL season on September 13.

Favre said the Eagles should have kept NFL Super Bowl-winning QB Nick Foles at the end of 2018 instead of giving Wentz a lucrative four-year, $128million contract extension.

Foles stepped up in the absence of injured star Wentz and guided the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title during the 2017 season, before leading Philadelphia back into the playoffs the following campaign.

But Wentz has since struggled in Philadelphia, where he entered the Week 9 bye leading the NFL in turnovers (16), interceptions (12) and sacks (32).

Wentz also ranks 32nd in completion percentage (58.4) and 30th in yards per attempt (6.2), however Eagles head coach Pederson defended the 2017 Pro Bowler.

"I respect his opinion and his words. Those aren't mine," Pederson said during Wednesday's news conference.

"Please don't put words in my mouth or we're going to have a problem. Carson's our guy, bottom line. End of story."

Through eight games this season, Wentz has completed 178 of 305 passes for 1,883 yards and 12 touchdowns.

In Philadelphia's 23-9 win over rivals the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, Wentz was 15-of-27 passing for 123 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and four sacks.

The Eagles (3-4-1) top the NFC East, despite a losing record, ahead of the Washington Football Team (2-6).

Pederson added: "Carson's our guy. Carson was our draft pick. Carson's the guy that is going to carry us and lead this football team.

"Listen, everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

"Those aren't my words, those aren't Howie [Roseman]'s words, Jeffery [Lurie]'s words, those are his words. I respect that opinion.

"Whatever he wants to say, that's fine and we're going to remain friends. It doesn't bother me one way or another."

The Eagles (3-7-1) crashed to their seventh loss in 2020, beaten 23-17 by the high-flying Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

Philadelphia have suffered three consecutive defeats as pressure mounts on beleaguered quarterback Carson Wentz and Pederson, who guided the Eagles to their first Super Bowl in 2017, and he was asked about his future.

"I haven't been reassured one way or another," Pederson told reporters on Tuesday.

"Listen, I've been around this league a long time, 25 years, I believe, as a player and a coach, and we're always based on and evaluated on our performance.

"Right now, that's obviously not my concern, as far as that decision goes. That's out of my hands. But what's in my hands and in my control is getting the team prepared and ready for Green Bay this weekend.

"So, I'm not going there mentally. I'm looking forward to playing again this week, getting back on the grass [Wednesday] with the players, and getting ready for Green Bay."

Pressed on Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, Pederson said: "Our relationship is good. We communicate a lot throughout the week. We have our typical weekly meeting and cover a lot of ground.

"But that relationship is good. Listen, some of these questions might be for Mr. Lurie obviously, but my job is to prepare the team and get ready for Green Bay."

Eagles quarterback Wentz has come under fire this season and question marks over his long-term future in Philadelphia continue to make headlines.

Wentz was 25 of 45 passes for 215 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while he rushed for 42 yards on five carries against the Seahawks.

The Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowler was sacked six times by the Seahawks, taking that tally to an NFL-high 46 this season, while he also has a league-high 15 interceptions to go with his 16 TD passes.

Philadelphia's first five drives against Seattle equated to minus-one total yards, zero points and zero total downs, but their final drive prior to half-time resulted in 75 total yards, six points and seven first downs.

"I'm not going to sit here and throw people under the bus. We can do that during the week of preparation and practice," Pederson added. "Guys just have to understand the sense of urgency that it takes to play a game and to prepare not only coaching, but also players.

"It's a long season. The season is a grind. It's a tough sport mentally and physically, and probably more so mentally than anything else. And it's frustrating because we do prep and practice and study and meet all week long, and coaches spend countless hours putting game plans together and trying to somehow come up with a plan that can beat your opponent.

"And then, whether it's execution or sometimes physically, you just get beat. It's a frustrating thing. It's something that we have got to – again, if it goes back to simplifying game plans, we can keep simplifying as much as we can.

"We've got a lot of moving parts, a lot of moving pieces, particularly in the offensive line. I alluded to that a little bit this morning [on SportsRadio 94WIP], that continuity and stability. That's also been an issue with us. Some young players on the perimeter, new targets that Carson is throwing to. So, we're definitely not where we want to be, that's for sure. We're going to continue to work to improve."

The Eagles are third in an underwhelming NFC East, which is topped by the 4-7 New York Giants.

The Eagles are still without a victory after they were held 23-23 by the Bengals and rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, with both teams seemingly happy to settle for that result at the end of an uninspiring overtime period.

Philadelphia have gone 0-2-1 in the opening three games having suffered defeats to the Washington Football Team and Los Angeles Rams.

There are clear holes on both sides of the ball for the Eagles but it is Wentz who has received the brunt of the criticism for their disappointing start.

The second overall pick in the 2016 draft, Wentz has completed only 59.8 per cent of his passes and has thrown just three touchdowns compared to six interceptions, with the Bengals picking him off twice on Sunday.

So far this season, Wentz is averaging 4.59 net yards per pass attempt, his worst performance in that category since his rookie year (5.58).

The Eagles stoked talk of a potential changing of the guard at quarterback during this year's draft when they stunningly selected Jalen Hurts in the second round.

However, Pederson rejected any possibility of Hurts coming in for Wentz.

Asked what it would take to consider changing quarterbacks, Pederson said: "No. No, you don't go there. That's a knee-jerk reaction.

"That's a reaction to things that sometimes are … the aura that's out there, right? That's not what we believe internally. And we're going to continue to get better.

"Carson's our quarterback. We're going to get it fixed, he's going to get it fixed. We got a long … listen, we're only a half game out of first place for goodness sakes. The whole division isn't playing very good football. We're not that far off."

Wentz was considered a frontrunner for the MVP award in the 2017 season, when he went 11-2 as a starter and led the league in touchdown percentage (7.5), throwing 33 scores and just seven interceptions.

However, a torn ACL meant he had to watch from the sidelines as backup Nick Foles improbably led the Eagles to glory with a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

He endured an up and down season in 2018 and a back injury meant he was again sidelined for the playoffs, in which Foles guided the Eagles to a Wild Card round win over the Chicago Bears. Wentz played just nine snaps of last season's Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks before suffering a concussion.

Despite their struggles, the Eagles are in striking distance of the NFC East division lead. Both Washington and the Dallas Cowboys have started 1-2 while the New York Giants are 0-3.

The Eagles will attempt to claim their first win of the season when they visit the 2-1 San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.

Hurts replaced embattled starter Wentz in the third quarter of Sunday's 30-16 defeat to the Packers and he almost triggered a comeback.

A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts finished five of 12 for 109 yards, a touchdown and an interception while rushing five times for 29 yards.

Wentz – who signed a lucrative four-year, $128million contract extension in 2019 – was benched having gone six-of-15 passing for 79 yards and four sacks as the beleaguered Eagles fell to 3-8-1.

"We needed a spark in this game to try to get some things going," under-fire coach Pederson told reporters post-game.

"I've got to get through injuries, I've got to get through the tape, there's a lot of things that I'm going to consider and evaluate before anything is decided."

Nick Foles stepped up in the absence of injured star Wentz and guided the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title during the 2017 season, before leading Philadelphia back into the playoffs the following campaign.

But Wentz has struggled since Foles departed at the end of 2018 – he entered Week 12 ranked first in interceptions (15) and sacks (46).

Wentz is also 31st among the 32 quarterbacks for completion percentage (58.1 per cent) and 30th in yards per attempt (6.02).

"I didn't know what the plan was fully. I was just told he was going in for the next play and the next series," Wentz said.

"So I didn't really know what was going on there. Obviously, that's frustrating as a competitor and just the personality that I have, I want to be the guy out there. But it is what it is.

"They made the call today. At the end of the day we lost, as a team we lost, and that's what I think for me I'm most frustrated about. I don't like where we're at this season record wise and I know I can play better and we can all be better going forward."

Hurts added: "Any experience and any opportunity to touch the field, it only kind of raises the value of that player. It's kind of has been that way all year, and today Coach gave me that opportunity.

"With all my heart, I had every intention of coming in and getting it done and winning the game, but we came up short, and that only lights a fire in everybody moving forward."

Pederson had been said to be meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie to outline his plans for the future, with his position thought to hinge on that discussion.

It seems he failed to convince Lurie and the franchise hierarchy to keep him in the post, with NFL Media's Tom Pelissero first reporting his firing.

Pederson, who took over in 2016, led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in his second season at the helm.

Philadelphia's first Lombardi Trophy came at the end of a storied playoff run, in which unheralded backup Nick Foles led them to glory after then-MVP candidate Carson Wentz suffered a serious knee injury.

The Eagles overcame the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII but Wentz's struggles to recapture his 2017 form following his comeback from injury played a significant role in Philadelphia's failure to scale the same heights in Pederson's subsequent three seasons.

Pederson oversaw playoff campaigns in 2018 and 2019, the latter despite a roster decimated by injury.

However, he attracted increased criticism amid a dismal 2020 season that saw a sharp decline from Wentz, who was eventually benched and forced to watch the final few weeks of a 4-11-1 year from the sideline.

His replacement, rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts, was one of the few bright spots for Philadelphia. The controversial in-game benching of Hurts in favour of Nate Sudfeld for the Week 17 loss to the Washington Football Team saw Pederson placed under further scrutiny as he faced accusations of overt tanking for draft position.

Pederson had claimed he made the move to evaluate Sudfeld, but the future at quarterback in Philadelphia is now a matter for his successor and general manager Howie Roseman.

In five seasons with the Eagles, Pederson compiled a 42-37-1 record in the regular season. He went 4-2 in the playoffs.

The Eagles sacked Super Bowl-winning head coach Pederson on Monday following a tumultuous 2020 NFL campaign.

Pederson, who was appointed in 2016, led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in his second season at the helm but Philadelphia struggled this term after a 4-11-1 finish.

Wentz's form resulted in the franchise quarterback – who signed a lucrative four-year, $128million contract extension in 2019 – being benched in favour of rookie Jalen Hurts in Week 13, while it raised serious questions over his future in Philadelphia.

While doubts remain over Wentz, Lurie insisted the 28-year-old was not behind Pederson's exit.

"My first allegiance is, what will be best for the Philadelphia Eagles and our fans for the next three, four, five years. It's not based on does someone deserve to hold their job or deserve to get fired; that's a different bar," Lurie told reporters on Monday.

"It's not about, 'Did Doug deserve to be let go?' No, he did not deserve to be let go. That's not where I'm coming from, and that's not the bar in the evaluation process."

"I don't think any owner should decide that [whether Wentz returns in 2021]. Carson, to me and to I think virtually everyone in our organisation, is a quarterback that in his first four years was in many ways elite, comparable to some of the great quarterbacks the first four years in the league," Lurie added on Wentz. "The fifth year, obviously not satisfactory for whatever reasons, there are probably multiple reasons for that.

"I think the way I look at it is, we have an asset and we have a talent. He's a great guy. He wants nothing but to win big and win Lombardi trophies for Philadelphia. This guy is tireless. He has his heart in the right place. He is really dedicated offseason, on-season. He's just what you want. And it behoves us as a team with a new coach and new coaching staff to be able to really get him back to that elite progression where he was capable of, and understand at the same time that there have been many quarterbacks in their fourth and fifth year, if you trace this, you can come up with many, many quarterbacks that have a single year where it's just, 'Whoa, the touchdown-to-interception ratio is not what you want.' And we're talking some great ones like Peyton [Manning] and Ben [Roethlisberger] and guys like that."

Wentz ranked 23rd for completions (251), 34th for passing percentage (57.4), 25th for yards (2,620) and tied for 20th for touchdowns (16), while he was equal first for interceptions thrown in 2020.

"So I take more of a longer view of this was not the best season for our offense," Lurie continued. "It was a poor season. And we also had a poor season from Carson, in terms of what he's been able to show in the past; very fixable, and I fully expect him to realise his potential."

Pederson compiled an overall 46-39-1 record over five seasons with the Eagles, including four playoff victories.

The 52-year-old, who oversaw three consecutive postseason appearances from 2017 to 2019 before dropping to the bottom of the NFC East this year, had not won 10-plus games since Philadelphia's run to Super Bowl LII.

"It has been an absolute honour serving as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. As difficult as it is to say goodbye, I will always look back on my time here with appreciation and respect," Pederson said.

"Thank you to Jeffrey Lurie for the opportunity, and to Howie Roseman and Don Smolenski for their partnership and support over the last five seasons. To all of our coaches, players, and staff, thank you for believing in me and allowing me to lead us on this journey. The memories we made here, together, will always have a special place in my heart.

"To the City of Philadelphia, thank you for embracing me and this team. I truly appreciate that passion you bring every single day – at home, on the road, and in the community. No matter what, you were always right there with us.

"Although I am disappointed that this chapter of my career has come to an end, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished together. Through all the ups and downs, one thing remained constant about our team – an unwavering commitment to battle through adversity and to achieve our goals not as individuals, but as a collective unit. There is no better example of that than when we celebrated the first Super Bowl Championship in Eagles history together with our city. That is a memory we will all cherish forever."

The Eagles missed out on the Divisional Round when they were beaten 17-9 by the Seattle Seahawks last weekend.

Head coach Doug Pederson suggested Groh and Walch would retain their roles on Wednesday, but revealed just a day later that they had departed.

"After much consideration and discussion, I have decided to make a change at the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach positions," Pederson said in a statement.

"It was not an easy decision for me to make and I appreciate everything that Mike Groh and Carson Walch contributed to the organisation and to my staff.

"As I said yesterday, they were a big part of our success down the stretch this past season.

"This is one of the most difficult parts of the job and something that weighs on me, but ultimately I have to make decisions that I believe are in the best interest of the football team moving forward

"I apologise for any confusion that I created during yesterday's press conference, including my comments on coach [Jim] Schwartz, who has done a great job as our defensive coordinator.

"It was my intent not to comment on any of my staff during the ongoing evaluations, because I wanted to be able to go through the process and communicate any decision directly with the individuals.

"I did a poor job of explaining that the first time I was asked. I will continue to evaluate everything, and consider all possibilities to improve our football team."

The Eagles triumphed 23-9 against the slumping Cowboys in the NFC East, but it was a far from impressive outing from Doug Pederson's team, with quarterback Wentz enduring a particularly tough time.

Wentz was 15 of 27 for 123 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions as the Eagles improved to 3-4-1, while the Cowboys fell to 2-6.

The game saw the Eagles become the first NFL team to have under 250 total yards, turn the ball over four or more times, get sacked four or more times and yet still win the game by 14-plus points since the Miami Dolphins beat the New York Jets 14-0 in the 1982 AFC Championship Game.

It left both Wentz and coach Pederson conceding there is much room for improvement.

"There are too many turnovers, I've got to be better," said Wentz, whose side nonetheless still extended their lead at the top of the NFC East.

"I can be better and put the ball in the right spot, but I am not going to change my aggressive mentality.

"We're going to start connecting on some of those big plays and obviously it hurt a little bit today, but the defense played great and we got the win.

"I [was] not good enough, I am pumped we got the win but I am going to have to watch the tape and I'm a little frustrated on how I played and how we left some plays out there, missed some big opportunities and I can be better.

"I know I can play better and a lot of it is coming down to taking care of the football. I feel I am still the same aggressive guy that's going to pull the trigger and I never want to change that, but just being smart and putting it in the right spot."

Pederson, whose side now have a bye week before returning to action against the New York Giants on November 15, said: "We can't do the things we are doing in order to survive in this league.

"We've got to get better and fix it in a hurry."

Roseman told ESPN on Thursday that the Eagles are turning to Sirianni after NFL Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson was fired following a tumultuous 2020 campaign.

Sirianni has spent the past three seasons working in Indianapolis – the 39-year-old also previously spending time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in various roles.

After moving to Indianapolis in 2018, Sirianni and the Colts twice reached the playoffs – beaten by the Buffalo Bills in this season's Wild Card clash.

But Sirianni will step into his first head-coaching job, tasked with restoring a struggling franchise, who ended the season 4-11-1 having won their first Super Bowl in 2017.

Sirianni – a former quarterback coach with the Chiefs and Chargers – will also have to deal with a tricky quarterback situation in Philadelphia, where star quarterback Carson Wentz struggled for form in 2020.

Wentz – who signed a lucrative four-year, $128million contract extension in 2019 – was benched in favour of rookie Jalen Hurts in Week 13, raising serious questions over his future in Philadelphia.

Eagles QB Wentz ranked 23rd for completions (251), 34th for passing percentage (57.4), 25th for yards (2,620) and tied for 20th for touchdowns (16), while he was equal first for interceptions thrown this past season.

Hurts – making his first start in place of embattled quarterback Carson Wentz – fuelled the struggling Eagles to a 24-21 upset of the New Orleans Saints in the NFL on Sunday.

The 22-year-old went 17-of-30 passing for 167 yards and a touchdown, while he ran for 106 yards on 18 carries as Wentz watched from the sidelines in Philadelphia.

His performance helped the Eagles snap a four-game losing streak, while the Saints had their nine-game winning run ended in surprise fashion.

While head coach Pederson refused to commit to starting Hurts post-game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15, he confirmed his decision on Monday.

"After going through the film and really looking back even to last week and the preparation and everything, I'm going to continue with Jalen this week as the starter," Pederson said.

"There were there were a lot of positives coming out of the football game. I just didn't want to say, 'hey, it was all about one guy', because you guys know me and my answers... have always been about the team, and really that was a team win yesterday."

Pederson added: "There's no issue with Carson and I. I look at maybe what I do or how I call a game, maybe I can approach it a little bit differently moving forward that way.

"But that's something that I haven't — listen, teams have a lot of film on your starter. They have ways to prepare for your starter. They can take away certain things, and we've got to be able to compensate for that. But there's been no issue between us."

Hurts joined Lamar Jackson as the only players since at least 1950 to have 100-plus rushing yards in their first career start at quarterback, per NFL Research.

Selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts became the second quarterback in history to beat a team on a nine-game regular-season winning streak in his first career start, according to Stats Perform. The other was Ron Jaworski in 1975.

The Eagles (4-8-1) are third in the NFC East, behind the Washington Football Team (6-7) as they prepare to face the Cardinals (7-6) in Arizona on Sunday.

Tight end Ertz did not play against the New York Giants in Week 17 as the Eagles clinched the NFC East, sitting out the game due to rib and back injuries.

Along with offensive lineman Lane Johnson – who has not featured since Week 14 due to an ankle issue – Ertz was listed on the team's latest injury report on Friday as questionable.

"He is still not cleared for any contact," Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson said of Ertz prior to Friday's practice session.

"He will work a little on the side, like he's done this week. We're waiting on a few doctor results tomorrow [Saturday]. If things go favourably, he'll play and if they don't, he won't."

As for Johnson, the Eagles' selection with the fourth pick in the 2013 draft, the two-time Pro Bowl tackle was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but did not participate at all on Friday.

Wide receiver Agholor has been ruled out contention due to a knee injury, scuppering his hopes of facing the Seahawks at Lincoln Financial Field.

While his absence will be a blow to a depleted offense already without fellow receivers Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson, there was some good news for the team concerning Miles Sanders.

The rookie running back hurt his ankle during the 34-17 triumph over the Giants but was a full participant in practice on Friday.

It was reported that several NFL teams have returned positive COVID-19 results, including the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots – whose cornerback Stephon Gilmore contracted coronavirus.

The start of the 2020 season went ahead as scheduled amid the pandemic after preseason games were cancelled, but regular-season games have already been postponed or rescheduled.

As the NFL updates their coronavirus protocols, Pederson was asked about the situation and he told reporters on Wednesday: "I can't comment too much on other teams. I don't know all the situations, but I do know that there's positive tests.

"Basically, the message from the league office is just to uphold the protocols in place that we've been asked to do. I feel comfortable with what we've done, what our players have done.

"We just took this long road trip, and everything was good. I have to do my due diligence and keep reminding my team, coaches, players, staff of the protocols that are in place. 

"We can't let our guard down. It's unfortunate, but I'm optimistic that the league and the season will continue."

However, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said the NFL season should not have gone ahead amid the COVID-19 crisis.

"My true opinion, I felt like we shouldn't have even had one because of what was going on. It's a difficult time," Slay said.

"We all make sacrifices and we made them. I think our staff and our team and the Eagles are doing a great job of securing us, and I think everyone is kind of committed to doing their job and making sure we can play Sunday.

"We continue to keep knocking on wood. We haven't had a sickness here yet so we'll continue to keep trying to find a way."

As the Eagles (1-2-1) prepare for Sunday's clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Slay added: "We shouldn't have had [a season]. But it is what it is. We go to work and get it done. If there's a way that we can play, I'm going to play."

Hurts was the only quarterback selected on the second day of the NFL Draft and his destination raised eyebrows as the Eagles picked the Oklahoma quarterback 53rd overall.

Philadelphia only gave starter Wentz a new four-year contract in 2019 and last year - his fourth in the NFL - he became the first Eagles quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season as he led Pederson's side to the playoffs.

Dual-threat quarterback Hurts, who began his college career at Alabama, had a fine senior season with Oklahoma and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Joe Burrow, the man who went first overall in the 2020 draft.

However, rather than seeing Hurts as someone to dislodge Wentz, Pederson thinks the two can work together in the same offense, in the manner Drew Brees and Hill do for the New Orleans Saints.

"He has a unique skill set," Pederson told reporters of Hurts.

"You see what Taysom Hill has done in New Orleans and how he and Drew Brees have a connection there and a bond there.

"And you look at [Joe] Flacco and Lamar [Jackson] in Baltimore for the short period of time, how they gelled together. It's just something we're going to explore."

The Eagles kept faith with Wentz in 2018 when he returned from a knee injury despite seeing Nick Foles lead them to victory at Super Bowl LII.

Foles left to sign for the Jacksonville Jaguars prior to last season and Wentz was the undisputed starter for 2019, and general manager Howie Roseman insisted the arrival of Hurts has not changed that.

"Nobody is going to be looking at a rookie quarterback as somebody who's going to be taking over [for] a Pro Bowl quarterback, a guy who's been on the cusp of winning an MVP," he said.

"We've shown how we feel about Carson by our actions, we showed it by the amount of picks we put into him and we showed it by the contract extension and we believe this is a guy to lead us to our next Super Bowl Championship.

"But, for better or worse, we are quarterback developers. We want to be a quarterback factory and we have the right people in place to do that and no team in the National Football League has benefited more from developing quarterbacks than the Philadelphia Eagles. This is who we are."

Rookie Hurts replaced the struggling Wentz in the third quarter of the Eagles' 30-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers last week, their fourth consecutive reverse.

According to widespread reports, the second-round pick out of Oklahoma will take the starting job for the home game with the Saints.

Wentz, who signed a lucrative four-year, $128million contract extension in 2019, has come under increasing pressure with the Eagles.

The team who won the Super Bowl in the 2017 season have fallen to 3-8-1 in a miserable campaign.

Coach Doug Pederson, who has been the subject of job speculation, would not commit to naming a starter either way in the immediate aftermath of the Packers game, but has now done so.

Wentz has been unable to repeat the MVP-calibre form he showed in 2017 before injury ruled him out of their famous postseason run led by backup QB Nick Foles.

This year he has 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions – already a career-high - through 12 games.

He has career-lows in passer rating (72.8) and completion percentage (57.4), having been sacked an NFL-high 50 times in 2020.

Hurts completed five of his 12 passes for 109 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Packers while rushing five times for 29 yards.

He showed impressive touch to deliver a beautiful TD pass to Greg Ward while rolling to his right on fourth-and-18 that likely helped Pederson to rule in his favour.

Hurts will not have an easy first start. The Saints are 10-2 and on pace to be the number one seed in the NFC.

Their defense is best in the league for yards allowed per game (288.8) and fourth in points per game (20.1).

The Jaguars put up a fight at Arrowhead Stadium, pulling the deficit back to just three points at 20-17 in the fourth quarter before Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs added another touchdown and closed out the win.

Lawrence completed 24 of his 39 pass attempts for a total of 217 yards, with one touchdown to show for it, as well as rushing three times for 26 yards.

"We worked so hard to get here," the quarterback said following Saturday's loss. "Nobody thought we were going to be here and we had our shot and that's what hurts.

"We'll be back. I'm confident in that. This is more the beginning than it is the end of something.

"This is just getting started for us. We got a taste of it and guys are already hungry to get this opportunity again."

Jacksonville reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and did so by securing just the second AFC South title in franchise history.

"I think this year obviously was huge for this organisation, for our city, for just our franchise moving forward," Lawrence added. "That kind of sets the bar of who we're going to be and what we're going to do moving forward and that's the mindset and we won't settle for less than that. We got a taste of it being here but there's more left and we all feel that.

"It's going to make us better. This won't be the last you guys hear of us. We'll be back."

Head coach Doug Pederson echoed his quarterback's words, and credited the Jaguars for making Lawrence the number one pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

"I think it's everything," Pederson said about having a franchise QB. "I've said this before that the success of your football team lies with your quarterback and you've got to get that piece and that player right and I feel that Jacksonville got that person right. And he's just going to get better.

"We're all hurting because of the loss, but we're all hurting too because this is the final game of this year and that's the hard thing. But, like I told the guys, these are the games we're going to learn from and we're going to be better because of.

"I told them, 'Just plan on every year of us being in these meaningful games at the end of the season.' We want to be one of the four, five, six teams in the AFC every year."

Tight end Engram was the top offensive weapon for the Jaguars on a wet night, tallying 113 receiving yards from seven catches to continue his terrific form, having entered the contest with 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns from his previous two outings.

With the win, the Jaguars are 7-8 with two games remaining, which is the exact same record as the Jets following their fourth consecutive loss.

Engram praised the team's coaches for making "great calls" in the difficult weather conditions as rain came down in a deluge.

After an early field goal from the home team, the Jaguars took charge, with Jets quarterback Zach Wilson having a night to forget, completing just nine of 18 passes and being booed before being replaced.

Coach Pederson said of the Jacksonville display: "It's a mark of a team that's beginning to play good football, meaningful football, at the end of the season. We've talked a lot about having meaningful games down the stretch. These guys are battling through a lot, they're battling through their own injuries. It's a sign of our team coming together at the right time."

He described the weather as "a challenge", adding: "It was going to be one of those days, it was going to be physical, it was going to be tough, we were going to have to run the football because throwing it was going to be hard. We were efficient in the passing game; we made some plays. I'm proud of the guys."

Looking at Engram's efforts, Pederson said: "He's gotten better with the offense, learning the details that we teach. He's very unselfish, he works extremely hard in practice, he wants to be good, he loves being coached, and it shows on the field, he's a really good team-mate to have and a leader of the team."

The Houston Texans are next for the Jaguars on New Year's Day, and Pederson urged his players to come back with purpose after their short break.

"The message is we haven't done anything, we haven't clinched anything, we haven't won anything," Pederson said. "We've still got two division games left. I do want them to enjoy the holidays, enjoy Christmas with their family and friends, and it's time to heal and get healthy for this final two-game stretch.

"But I also want them to come back in the right frame of mind and get ready for a team that beat us a couple of months ago."

Engram said he had assessed the conditions and "made a choice to play hard".

"The coaches made great calls and we managed the weather really well, took care of the football and I just made plays when my number was called," Engram said on the Jaguars' post-game show.

Looking at the skill involved in catching a wet football, Engram said: "It's just mechanics. I work on those every single day. Catching tennis balls to make sure my hand placement's right. Doing all sort of distraction drills to not let elements get in the way of making plays with the football.

"With the rain, you've got to shoot your hands together. Shoot your hands together and we'll be all right, and I had success."

The Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 20-16 at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday to clinch the AFC South and a first playoffs spot since 2017, a year on from finishing bottom.

That made them only the fifth team since the merger in 1970 to record the league's poorest record one season and then win the division the next year, with the Miami Dolphins the last to achieve it in 2008.

The Jaguars began the 2021 season with five defeats that took their losing streak to 20, the third-longest in NFL history, and in December of that year they eventually fired coach Urban Meyer following a string of scandals and controversies.

Meyer was dismissed while the Jags held a 2-11 record – they finished the season at 3-14, but Pederson has helped transform their fortunes.

It has not been straightforward for the 9-8 Jags though, whose hard-fought victory over the Titans ensured they had recorded both five-game losing and winning runs this season.

"This game tonight kind of symbolises our season," Pederson said. "There were some struggles, there were some highs and lows, but in the end, we had the victory.

"I'm so proud of the guys for the way they have all season long just hung together through the face of adversity.

"Obviously, to be in this position, to be the AFC South champion, and just to know the journey that it took us to get here... it's just a step in the direction that we want to go.

"I want it to be sustainable. I just don't want to be like, 'OK, you were the 2022 champs and not in 2023'. You want to be competing for this division every year.

"But it makes it special just because of the way these guys battled and kind of what they've been through in the last two years."

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has undoubtedly played his part after a disappointing first season.

The 23-year-old became only the third Jags QB in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a single season, helping the franchise dig their way out of a hole when they found themselves at 2-6 in October.

"Nobody ever lost faith," he told ESPN. "Everyone believed in one another. We never started pointing the finger. We lost five straight, and we just got tighter. After the bye week, we started correcting some things and started rolling. It's cool to see a team come together like we have, and we're just excited to get another opportunity next week.

"It's hard to sum up this season and what we've been able to do. To get an opportunity to go play in the playoffs. Sounds great. Sounds really, really good."

Making his first start in place of embattled quarterback Carson Wentz, Hurts fuelled the Eagles to a 24-21 upset of the Saints in the NFL on Sunday.

Hurts went 17-of-30 passing for 167 yards and a touchdown, while he had 106 yards on 18 carries as Wentz watched from the sidelines in Philadelphia.

His performance helped the Eagles snap a four-game losing streak, while the Saints had their nine-game winning run ended in surprise fashion.

Pederson was asked if Hurts will start against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15, but the under-fire coach replied: "I'm gonna enjoy this one.

"I'm gonna go home and relax and be with my family tonight and enjoy this win and get ready for the week."

"I thought overall there were some good things, and [Hurts] really kind of gave us a spark as a team that I was looking for and I think we were looking for as a team," Pederson said.

"But this win today is not about one guy. This win is about this team and how resilient this team is and we went through it again today."

Hurts joined Lamar Jackson as the only players since at least 1950 to have 100-plus rushing yards in their first career start at quarterback, per NFL Research.

"It's not all about me," Hurts told FOX post-game. "This is a great team and we have a lot of great players, and I'm just so excited we got this win today. We worked really hard this week."

"I think going into next week, I just want to continue to impact the guys around me, just work hard every day," Hurts added. "I always try to encourage somebody to bring somebody with them, and I just want to continue to get better at doing my job.

"I have a lot I can learn from this game as well as us as a team, so just continuing to work, keeping that hunger and building on this thing this week."

Philadelphia's Hurts and team-mate Miles Sanders both had 100 rushing yards, snapping the Saints' streak of 50 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher – the fourth longest run since 1950, according to NFL Research.

Sanders' 82-yard rushing touchdown was the fourth longest rushing TD in Eagles history, while he also became the first player in franchise history with multiple 70-plus yard rushing touchdowns in a single season.