Green Bay Packers trying out son of Brett Farve's backup
The Green Bay Packers are trying out tight end Josh Pederson, ESPN’s Field Yates reported on Sunday, the son of former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
Pederson’s father, Doug, served as the Eagles’ head coach until 2020, after stints as a coordinator or assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs and again with the Eagles. He won Super Bowl LII as the Eagles’ head coach, the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory. Before Pederson went into coaching, in his 13-year-long NFL career, he served as a backup quarterback on a number of NFL teams, including the Green Bay Packers. He had two stints with Green Bay: one from 1995-1998, and one from 2001-2004. While with the Packers, Pederson was a part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXI — and he spent many years as the backup quarterback to Packers legend Brett Farve.
Pederson’s son, Josh, was a five-year student-athlete at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Pederson had a breakout junior season in 2019 with the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, during which he racked up 43 receptions for 567 receiving yards and nine touchdowns — good for a Pro Football Focus All-American honorable mention and a first team All-Sun Belt nod. He finished his Sun Belt career with 99 receptions for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Following his career with the Warhawks, Pederson declared for the 2021 NFL Draft but went undrafted. He was subsequently signed by the San Francisco 49ers, but after a quiet training camp he was waived by the 49ers on Aug. 4. Two days later, he was signed by the New Orleans Saints but again was waived on August 21.
As it stands, the top of the Packers’ tight end room is clear: Robert Tonyan, a 6-foot-5, 234-pound undrafted tight end out of Indiana State, should hold his position atop the depth chart. Although he’s been on the Packers since 2017, Tonyan never quite made his mark until 2020, when he burst onto the scene with 11 touchdowns — tied with Travis Kelce for the league’s lead at his position. After Tonyan, though, the depth chart has a number of players competing for playing time. 37-year-old Marcedes Lewis, a product of UCLA, will likely command time as a backup; 2020 third-round selection Jodiah Deguara may also get some reps. Jace Sternberger, another former third-round pick could also compete for time, but Pederson is trying out for a tight end room in which very little is certain.
Should he make the team, Pederson will likely be used as a third string tight end. However, at this moment, the Packers have already completed the preseason, losing their finale game 19-0 to the Bills — meaning Pederson is more likely to be a practice squad tight end, since there won’t be much time for him to earn a roster spot.