Report: Saints Signed TE Josh Pederson

Various sources report the New Orleans Saints signing tight end Josh Pederson to a contract after a workout on August 6.

Kyle T. Mosley | Aug 6, 2021

According to reports, the New Orleans Saints have signed free-agent tight end Josh Pederson to a contract on August 6. He is the son of former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson who led the team to its Super Bowl XXXI championship against the New England Patriots.

Brett Favre-Josh Pederson-Doug Pederson — Sep 8, 2018; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre with Louisiana Monroe Warhawks tight end Josh Pederson (86) and his father, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, before the game between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at M. M. Roberts Stadium. Favre played for Southern Miss and Pederson played at Louisiana Monroe. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco signed Pederson to a 3-year, $2.3M free-agent contract with $28K in guaranteed money on May 13 and waived him on August 4 after an uneventful training camp.

He played in the Sun Belt Conference at the University of Louisiana-Monroe from 2017-2020. Pederson's career stats are 99 receptions for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns.

His junior campaign was the tight end's best season when he caught 43 passes for 567 yards and nine touchdowns. He earned All-Sun Belt first-team honors for his efforts in 2019. Pederson started 33 out of 44 games at Louisiana-Monroe at tight end.

New Orleans needed another tight end in training camp after an ankle injury has sidelined Ethan Wolf. The team placed rookie tight end, Dylan Soehner, on the reserve/injured list earlier in the week.

Pederson beat out veteran tight end Demetrius Harris after Friday's workout with the Saints.

Pederson, 23, is a tall and robust tight end at 6-5 and 235 pounds. Josh Pederson played for Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas, where he notched 73 receptions for 1,102 yards and 16 touchdowns in two seasons.

Josh Pederson - San Francisco — © Nicolas Galindo/The News-Star, Monroe News Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Saints Tight End Josh Pederson — © Nicolas Galindo/The News-Star, Monroe News Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC

He was born in Green Bay while his father was the quarterbacks' coach with the Green Bay Packers from 1997 to 1998 before being hired as the Eagles head coach in 1999.

Sean Payton and Doug Pederson are friends and respect one another's coaching acumen.

New Orleans' tight end roster includes veterans Adam Trautman, Nick Vannett, Ethan Wolf (injured), Garrett Griffin, and former wide receiver converted to tight end Juwan Johnson.

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Published Aug 6, 2021

KYLE T. MOSLEY