Winston Churchill had many great quotes throughout his storied legacy. Yet one of the more simple and underrated ones was, ‘You can measure a man’s character by the choices he makes under pressure.’ While professional sports isn’t the same as running a country during wartime, the quote still applies. If there is one person that has proven he can thrive under pressure? That is Doug Pederson.

And no, this doesn’t just have to do with the fact he won the Super Bowl in 2017. Sure it plays a part but it’s what he had to go through while doing it that makes him seem like an even better coach than he got credit for. Details of why came courtesy of a fantastic in-depth piece by Sheil Kapadia, Bo Wulf and Zach Berman of The Athletic detailing how the Philadelphia Eagles went from champions to last in their division in just three years.

Most of it centers on what happened with Pederson.

Basically, the head coach was constantly being second-guessed by owner Jeffrey Lurie almost since the moment he was hired. One of the regular occurrences he had to deal with was Tuesday meetings with Lurie and GM Howie Roseman after every game. In them, Pederson would have to listen to the two men question his every decision, even if the Eagles just got done winning. It felt like an inquisition.

“(Pederson) was ridiculed and criticized for every decision,” one source told The Athletic. “If you won by three, it wasn’t enough. If you lost on a last-second field goal, you’re the worst coach in history.”

Where it gets truly insane is what happened in 2017. Everybody would like to think the organization was in lockstep during their march to a championship. Yet details suggest otherwise. Not only was Pederson doubted by many at the top to win a title that year. Some apparently wondered if he’d even survive the season. There were legitimate rumblings he could end up getting fired if things didn’t start well.

“The fact that Doug had the success he did with all the shit going on in the building, sometimes I look at our Super Bowl rings, and I’m like, ‘Holy cow, I don’t know how we did it,’” one source said.

In fact, the championship season began with many in the building wondering whether Pederson would even last the year.

In the days leading up to the 2017 opener, word of a three-hour meeting between Lurie and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz spread throughout the organization. The specifics were unknown, but multiple sources said there was a feeling around the team that Lurie was vetting an in-house replacement for Pederson in the event the Eagles got off to a slow start.

Doug Pederson won in spite of the organization

That is just crazy. Not only did the guy overcome losing his MVP-favored quarterback towards the end of the regular season. He fought off constant doubts from the two people at the top to beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. That sort of coaching job belongs in the Hall of Fame all by itself. No wonder the guy was burnt out and took a year off by the time he left this offseason.

One thing is for sure, if Matt Nagy fails to save his job in 2021? The Chicago Bears need to have Doug Pederson on their shortlist of names to pursue next offseason. This is the sort of coach they’ve been seeking for years. An offensive mastermind who embraces the running game and can operate in high-pressure situations. Compared to Philadelphia? Working for the McCaskeys would be like a country club.

Maybe the Nagy experiment might dissuade them from going that direction.

It shouldn’t. The two men have proven that while they may have worked together, they’re not the same type of coaches. Nagy is a fiery motivator. Pederson is less outspoken but more cerebral. Both have their pros and cons but it’s clear the latter has been able to get more out of his teams to this point. If he was able to win a championship with people actively working against him inside his own organization? Imagine what he’ll do with full control of the ship.