Doug Pederson reportedly convinced Sam Bradford to stay with Philadelphia Eagles

Prior to when Sam Bradford re-signed with the Eagles, there were rumblings that the former impending free agent quarterback might not be so crazy about Philadelphia. Multiple reporters noted this sentiment on several occasions. According to Tim McManus of Birds 24/7, it was head coach Doug Pederson who helped sell Bradford on the idea of staying.

Doug Pederson played a significant role in selling Sam Bradford on the idea of re-signing with the Eagles, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.

"Pederson was able to get (Bradford) to believe that Philadelphia was a place for him to thrive," one source said.  Another added that Pederson’s efforts "absolutely helped" get Bradford back under contract.

That Bradford would need some convincing would be understandable given the uncertainty about the direction of the organization after a turbulent season that ended with Chip Kelly -- the man that traded for Bradford -- getting axed with a game to play, and lines up with some of what we were hearing at the onset of the offseason.

The relationship between a head coach and his quarterback is obviously important. Pederson has been very supportive in his public comments about Bradford. In his introductory press conference, Pederson said Bradford can "fit perfectly" into his scheme. He also said the quarterback is capable of leading the Eagles deep into the playoffs, despite never having won more than seven games in a single season.

I don't doubt that Pederson could have had some influence on Bradford re-signing. But I do think a big reason why Bradford is back is because his market was non-existent. It seems like no one else even wanted him. The rest of the NFL probably realized he isn't very good, especially relative to his costly price tag.

I also think it's fair to question Pederson's quarterback evaluation skills. I mean ...

BOLD STATEMENT: Chiefs OC Doug Pederson said Alex Smith is the best QB in the NFL

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 1, 2013

Pederson was the guy who worked out Foles, was enthusiastic about him -- as a prospect. Lot has happened since then https://t.co/XUHt9b3J6m

— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) February 7, 2016

I can confirm this after speaking with league source who stressed how highly Doug Pederson thinks of Nick Foles. https://t.co/QxtN9VXD42

— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardo975) February 8, 2016

... yikes.