HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, JUNE 3, 2024
If you could just comment, I know he posted on Instagram story, about WR David White’s injury. Was
that in practice?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, noncontact obviously. Unfortunate, just running a route. He was having a really
good off-season, and just wish him well now during the recovery. We’ll get him back and hopefully
everything for him is positive. But, just happened last week.
Obviously WR David White Jr. will be a candidate to be placed on reserve IR? Would that be the hope
for the rest of the season?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, I think so. Talk to Trent [General Manager Trent Baalke] about that and
definitely be a candidate for that.
You mentioned last week that talking about how QB Trevor Lawrence has been more of a vocal leader.
Have you ever been on a team with a really good quarterback who you didn’t think was all that into
being a leader? Just a talented quarterback who could get the job done but as far as leadership was so,
so?
DOUG PEDERSON: You know, I mean, you kind of lump all the great ones and all the good quarterbacks
in that boat, I guess. They’re good leaders in the locker room, off the field, with the coaching staff. Look,
it’s not about necessarily being all vocal. I played with one of the greatest in Brett [QB Brett Farve] and
he wasn’t a vocal guy but he just led by example and spoke up when he had to. Trevor is very similar that
way. He speaks when he has to, but just things we’ve seen this off-season have been very positive that
way, and we just got to continue to grow in that direction.
How much do you sense the way last year ended is serving as fuel for QB Trevor Lawrence? You know
what it does for you, but for him.
DOUG PEDERSON: I think it’s fuel, motivation for him to compete this year, to stay healthy this year, to
lead better this year, and maybe demand more this year. Those are all positive traits that can come out
of something as negative as the end of last year.
You’re going into year three with TE Evan Engram. What sort of growth have you seen?
DOUG PEDERSON: He just continues to improve, just understanding defense, our system, how he and
Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] are on the same page. Evan has done a nice job leading his room, him and
Luke [TE Luke Farrell] both, two veteran guys in there. Evan was a great addition for us three years ago
and continues to really impress. He’s another one of those guys that’s taken more of that vocal stance,
especially with the offense. He’s also somebody that backs it up on the field. So, he’s done a nice job,
continues to lead by example obviously. And, again, he’s not always the vocal guy, but when he needs to
he will.
How important is it to have a good core of vocal and nonvocal leaders on the team?
DOUG PEDERSON: It’s good when I don’t have to yell and scream all the time or motivate. When it
comes from their peers, it carries a lot more weight.
How confident are you that you know what kickoffs are going to look like next year, or is there still
some mystery?
DOUG PEDERSON: Still some mystery. Still working out some things. It’s good this off-season to really I
think vet out what we can and can’t do, you know, with angles and blocks and different types of returns and all kinds of things that we’re continuing to work through. I think it’s going to take pre-season, pre-
season games to really fully understand what it’s about. But I think for us, it’s been good because we get all our guys out there and get some stuff on tape that we can study and kind of work through some kinks
that way.
Chiefs talk about not using a kicker for kickoffs.
DOUG PEDERSON: Who is kicking?
S Justin Reid.
DOUG PEDERSON: Justin Reid.
But you guys could use P Logan Cook, (indiscernible.) (Laughter.)
DOUG PEDERSON: Great idea.
A lot is made this time of year about identity, who you want to be and who you are. Do you have a
sense of who you want to be and who you are right now?
DOUG PEDERSON: I mean, I guess yes and no to answer the question. It’s early. No pads are on and
we’re still working through. This time of year it’s about the teaching, right, and really I think establishing
some philosophy, all three phases. I think you kind of as a coach look big picture and kind of have an idea
what it looks like and what it could look like. I think that stuff evolves, and really evolves as the season
progresses, too. As you get into September and October, you’re never a finished product and a lot of
things can happen early in the season. So, I think we’re working through that right now.
In your head what do you want it to be?
DOUG PEDERSON: I mean, you’ve heard the guys talk a lot about. I mean, we’ve talked a lot about it. You
definitely want to be a physical football team. You want to be a smart football team. Don’t want to beat
yourself obviously. Those are all I think three obvious traits that you want your football team to be.
Then ultimately schematically it just depends on how the season goes and what begins to unfold.
What are you guys tinkering with this off-season?
DOUG PEDERSON: Well, the kickoff. Kickoff and kickoff return. That’s a big thing. You know, we have been
working some red zone a little bit more. Again, this is a time of the year where it’s about development,
it’s about teaching and it’s about the fundamentals. I don’t think so much we’re tinkering with a lot of
things. But at the same time, developing our young players and seeing what you have and can they
handle playing, getting snaps with — let’s say it’s a young offensive lineman. Can he get the reps with the
starters? Or as a D-linemen, can he get the reps with your starters, the secondary guys? So, if there is any
tinkering that goes on, that’s probably where it is right now with the personnel and growth and
developing those young players.
Any of those young players that maybe didn’t play a lot last year that stood out to you so far to this
point?
DOUG PEDERSON: You know, the two, three on offense. You look at what Brenton [TE Brenton Strange] is
doing, what Parker [WR Parker Washington] is doing. Parker has taken a really good step forward this
year, he’s having a really good off-season. OL Cooper Hodges is coming back and getting opportunities out there looking really good. You know, Tank [RB Tank Bigsby]. Tank is another one offensively. Just
where he’s at, maturity level and understanding the offense. I think defensively [DL] Tyler Lacy taking
another step this year, even though he played a little bit last year. [LB] Ventrell Miller coming back off the
injury is having a good off-season. The way he’s moving around, can he carry that into training camp?
You know, and then even just some of the young rookies, you know, [CB] Jarrian Jones is getting
opportunities out there. Tre Prince [CB De’Antre Prince] is getting opportunities out there. That’s all part
of the development, right? That’s all part of this time of year and making sure those guys are in a
position to help.
You listed off all last year draft picks. How important is that first true off-season for these guys?
DOUG PEDERSON: I think it’s, yeah, it’s big, going into year two for them. They’ve had an off-season to
kind of rest and get healthy obviously, and then going into year two there is confidence there. We
understand their ability and what they can do. You know, that’s the part that as coaches we have to see,
plugging them in and see where they can help us because when you finally get down to your 53, it’s all
53 are available on game day. All these guys have done a nice job this off-season. Even the guys that
were injured and missed the season are all contributing and doing a nice job.
Compared to last year, when you made a cognizant effort to spend more time with the defense, to
divide your time a little bit, how would you assess so far, and especially knowing, like you said, the
hope that is Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen can handle the defense in terms of how you’ve
divided your time?
DOUG PEDERSON: Still involved really in all three phases this time of year, very confident on the
defensive side that Ryan can handle that and he’s done it, he’s proven that in his career. It just gives me
the flexibility to spend time in all three areas and really get a good handle on where we are as a team
and how I can adjust certain things to fit us.
What are you seeing in DL Arik Armstead? I know he’s been limited on field, but maybe some of the
conversations in the classroom, stuff like that.
DOUG PEDERSON: Armstead?
Yeah.
DOUG PEDERSON: He and I, just conversations on the field. I think he’s going to be a really good leader.
Obviously right now it’s tough for him because he’s not out there and competing with the guys.
But he’s one of those players that you really don’t need to see a lot because he has a track record and
history there. What he brings is that leadership. He brings a confidence level. He’s been there. He’s been
at the top of the pinnacle. Been to Super Bowls, NFC Championship games. He knows how to do it.
I think that’s the part that I’m encouraged by, and he and I have had conversations about that. Just
looking forward to him getting out there and really mixing it up with the guys.
You’ve spoken about the value of the experience the agree agents like DL Arik Armstead and CB
Ronald Darby. It’s early and they’re learning the system. How have you seen that applied so far and
benefitting the team as a whole?
DOUG PEDERSON: I just think one, it gives you I think depth, right? It gives you depth at those positions.
It gives you flexibility, especially in the D-line, to move some pieces around, first, second down, third
down, right, and where Arik can plug in. He can plug in on end, three-tech. Trayvon [OLB Travon Walker]
can be an end, a three-tech. So it’ll be really nice once we get them all out there together to see how all
that plays a part. Same way in the secondary. With Ronald, a veteran guy, he comes in here competing
for that spot and just really embracing the opportunity. But the same time, being able to lead because we got some young guys at the corner position. Being able to I think show them how to practice, how to
study, how to prepare, are all things that guys like that really bring to us.
Besides WR David White Jr., healthy last week, no other injuries? Do you have a timeline in terms of
DL Arik Armstead, WR Gabe Davis and, DL Roy Robertson-Harris?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, I think, yeah, David is the only one that’s the significant one. Those other guys
should be cleared and ready to go for training camp.
Any absences anticipated on the field?
DOUG PEDERSON: Just Josh [OLB Josh Allen]. I think he’s the only one.
No TSA-Pre issues?
DOUG PEDERSON: Not this time. Cam [OL Cam Robinson] is here.
Do you plan to do the mandatory training camp the way you did it last year?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yes, yes.
So most of the veterans get off?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, I mean, I’ll be selective with those guys. Again, it’s about development and
growth, and the more time we can work with young players getting more reps is beneficial for us as a
whole.
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR HEATH FARWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, JUNE 3, 2024
How different has the leadup to this season been for with the new kickoff rules? Talk a little bit about
how more intensive it might be?
HEATH FARWELL: It’s way different. It’s been a different off-season obviously going on the road and
working out kickers and doing that stuff. Obviously doing all the backgrounds on those and then of
course the draft. Then of course we get the kickoff new rules, changes my whole off-season. It’s been a
great challenge. Been really fun. So many of the special teams coaches are former players and made a
good living, like myself, on special teams and covering those kicks. So, the fact that we can bring the play
back, we’re super excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see how it fits and how it works. I’m learning
every day, though that’s part of it. So, there is a huge part of the off-season fthat has been set aside just
for those two phases. It’s way different. We’re still using the same techniques and that’s what I’m telling
our players. We’re still using the same techniques; however, you still have a completely different blocking
schemes, way different angles and different situations of how do you get to those blocks when they’re
only five yards from each other. So I’m learning every day. We do a kickoff or kickoff return period. The
very next day, okay, guys, here is some new stuff I got to do. This is what I learned. I have players come to
me, great players that have great information, they say, ‘Coach, this is a little tougher to get to. What do
you think about this?’ Great. Love it. But we’re exploring everything. My assistant, Luke Thompson
[Assistant Special Teams Coach] and I have looked into it a ton, and even a couple weeks ago we had
former Jaguars special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who’s a mentor of mine and brilliant guy. Had him
come down and vet it and look at it. He liked a lot of it, and also give us some good ideas. Try this, and
what do you think about this. I’m trying everything I can to give these guys as much information, learn as
much as I can, so come training camp we’re ready to go.
Will you toy with the idea of using a nonkicker?
HEATH FARWELL: I have a bunch of guys that have already nominated themselves, starting with S Andre
Cisco. He’s already campaigning, stretching his leg out. So, yes, I thought about it. We will explore it.
Right now, we’ve been so focused on learning the scheme, the details of it. Obviously with the kicker
competition I’ve been solely working on that. We will look into it. Right now, we have not put anybody in
there but a kicker.
How many XFL games have you watched before this became a thought process?
HEATH FARWELL: Probably like everybody else, you turned it on when I was home in the past years and
watched it briefly. Obviously, this is more detailed. Most of us, all of us special teams coaches, watch
every clip of the XFL and try to learn from it. You can learn some stuff, but some is different though. Our
rule is quite different in some aspects. So, I’ve learned a ton but there is a lot more to learn from it.
When you were watching it did you go, I don’t like that at all?
HEATH FARWELL: It was different. I think that’s the biggest thing. You have to embrace it’s different. Like I
said, I covered these kicks and my traditional thought of what I think a kickoff looks like normal fans
probably would, you have to put that aside. The reality is this play is going to go away. Guys like myself
wouldn’t have played as long as I did if I didn’t have those two phases that are so valuable and important
to the game. We’re embracing it. It’s different. Let’s embrace the difference about it and let’s get more
opportunity. This is a cool play that, again, once we learn it, our guys are loving it. Really Dewey [S
Andrew Wingard] is so excited about the new kickoff rule because he understands there is going to be
that much more opportunities to make tackles.
Do you think what you guys do and how you’re coaching will change as the season goes as guys gather
more info?
HEATH FARWELL: Absolutely. I think we’ve learned a lot this spring. We’ll learn more in training camp,
maybe some in pre-season, depending on how much people show. Week one everybody is going to
show their cards, and this is a copycat league. We’re all going to look at each other like every other
phase. Nothing new. I like that, I don’t like that, or maybe just add this to ours. We like ours, but this is a
wrinkle I like. Like we do every week, we’ll watch each other. No different. Because of the unknown, yea,
we’re going to learn a ton from Week 1 to Week 2 of the season.
Special teams coaches are a little bit of a fraternity. Have you seeing more of that or less of that now?
Are you sharing ideas with this or being secretive?
HEATH FARWELL: It’s a small fraternity and we all of our own friends and groups, and I think there are
little pockets here of what have you seen, what have you learned, any information we could share. Yes,
definitely that going on. We’re all trying to help each other. At the end of the day we want a good
product, we want this play to be successful, and we want it to be fun. We want it to be a play that fans,
the people that are watching, it’s a cool play. How can we make it as clean as we can.
You mentioned it’s been a different off-season because of the new kickoff rule; also because of
traveling around the country to identify the kicker. I know Head Coach Doug Pederson has empowered
you and I’m sure you have in other off-seasons to go out and find a kicker. Why was that one different?
Was it very much a we’re going to be drafting a kicker and please find that next young up and comer?
HEATH FARWELL: Every off-season I typically go on the road for a handful of schools and take a look at a
position. Sometimes it’s a returner, sometimes it’s a kicker. I looked last season as well. Just depending
how it fits, do we see that guy that we really target, really like, not only on the field, his talent but what’s
it like when you meet him, you take him to dinner and get a good feeling for their personality. Does he
mesh with you? It fit right. We love Cam [K Cam Little]. When I worked him out, we loved him. The
dinner I had with him was fantastic. I just sensed that he was very competitive. I really liked what he was
doing. So, I thought he was a really cool guy to bring in here. We like the value in the sixth round and it
worked out. It’s a great opportunity. Obviously, Riley [K Riley Patterson] has made some big kicks for us
so we have a great competition with two really good kickers. Yeah, it’s normal as any position or any
coordinator goes on the road, takes a look at a position, and there is a bunch of years I’ve done that and
didn’t draft one. So it’s very normal. We really liked Cam and thought it was a good opportunity to add to
the program, add to the competitive position of kicker, and let’s see what it looks like come pre-season
games and training camp.
What was the process for RB Keilan Robinson?
HEATH FARWELL: Keilan Robinson was a guy that was my number one running back that I watched. I
loved him right away. You saw what he did as a returner. I saw him playing other phases. He has the
ability to play multiple phases for us, whether it’s gunner, corner on punt return, which he did some in
college. He’s an elite returner, a kick returner, and he has actually been out there doing punt returns as
well. He is a talented player with very good speed, tough, physical, does all the things we liked. Then of
course I think he does a good job on offense. The offensive guys were on board. They liked him as well,
catching the ball in the backfield doing some of the stuff he does.
Thought about WR Devin Duvernay?
HEATH FARWELL: Love Duvernay, he’s really good. Obviously, we didn’t bring back Ags [WR Jamal
Agnew], which Ags was an elite player for us. Love Ags. He was really good. He is different than
Duvernay. Both all pros, really good players. Duvernay is elite speed, that’s one thing I would say. It
shows up. One of the first weeks he was here he was running 23 miles an hour. Elite speed that really
shows up. So, we’re excited to have him. He’s a talented player from the Ravens. I watched him for years,
and of course he’s always been good. So, to be able to add him and then with the two returners back
there on kick return, you’re going to need some other guys. Tank [RB Tank Bigsby] has done a really good
job as well. We have a good group, nucleus of good returners we’re going to need this year.
When all is said and done about rules, if somebody has a kicker just blowing out of the end zone every
time, do you just do that?
HEATH FARWELL: It’s a possibility. I think there is so much unknown. Are you going to bomb it out the
back of the end zone or normal hang kicks to the goal line and force the return? Are you going to get
some of the knuckle ball missile kicks to put out ball in the ground so the kickoff team can cover?
We don’t know what we’re going to get. We practiced all of these and looked at them ourselves on our
kickoff group. Can we do these? What’s going to work? What are we going to see? We don’t know. We’ll
see.
Are you concerned at all that preparation for the new rule is taking time from other aspects of special
teams now and in training camp?
HEATH FARWELL: Definitely takes a big portion of it. We have a good nucleus of core guys, let’s say, on
our punt team. Dewey is there. We have a really good group. [LB] Caleb Johnson as well as Gotsis [DL
Adam Gotsis] has played wing for us for years. I think we have a good group. Yes, it takes from some of
the other aspects of the game, but I think it’s going to be super important to make sure we know exactly
what we’re doing going into this so we don’t get surprised come Week 1 on kickoff and kickoff return.
Everybody has the same thing. Everybody has to devote X number of time to this new situation, right?
HEATH FARWELL: Right. Traditionally you have the majority of your time going to punt, and just because
you’re worried about a blocked punt, and that’s so important to a special teams group, and we’re still are
doing that. I would punt is just as emphasized as those other two. Obviously, you have to pull back on
something. That’s the nature of how I allocate our time not only in meetings, but practice time.
In terms of coverage, I know you were pretty high on some of the young DBs brought in last year, from
S Antonio Johnson to CB Christian Braswell. What have you seen from that group of second-year guys
as well as the next group with CB De’Antre Prince and CB Jarrian Jones?
HEATH FARWELL: Yeah, Antonio is a fantastic player. Loved him when we got him here. He was a really
good gunner and four phase guys for us last year. If he’s not playing defense, see how this plays out. He
is going to be a four phase guy. I would love to have him play for us. I think he is probably too good of a
player. I’m concerned I’m not going to see him much this year because I know how good he is. Christian
Braswell had a really good spring. Obviously, we didn’t see our ton of him because of injuries lasts year,
but I thought he’s had one of the more impressive off-seasons. So, I really like what he’s doing. I’m
looking forward to see what it looks like come training camp, real life reps, full speed reps, full contact.
Again, he’s done fantastic. Some of the young guys, Jarrian Jones has been really good. That’s been a
great addition. He was a guy that we targeted obviously not only on defense, but for us. I thought he was
a really good gunner and he’s been really, really good. So these guys have been — like I said, I like where
our group is at with those young DBs, especially with that gunner position.
Why was it so important to bring S Daniel Thomas back?
HEATH FARWELL: Love DT. Not only a great player, makes really good plays for us. His energy in the room,
he’s a team guy, the guys love him. It’s infectious. You need those glue guys. Just every day he brings a
smile to the room, to the meetings, to the field. He encourages guys. Just a leader in his own way. So, to
bring DT back he’s a great player but even a better guy. So, I love having him around.
