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The Jacksonville Jaguars have multiple ties to Super Bowl LVII teams Chiefs and Eagles

demetrius harvey, florida times-union
·4 min read

While the Jaguars didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, they have plenty of ties as the Chiefs and the Eagles get set to play in Super Bowl LVII this Sunday.

The connections Jacksonville has to Philadelphia and Kansas City are clear.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson coached the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory, defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII in the 2017-18 season.

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Many current Eagles players played under Pederson including quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was drafted by the team in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Pederson was also the Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2013-15 and has coached under and played for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid since the two met first with the Green Bay Packers in 1995.

The same goes for Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor and defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell. Taylor coached under Pederson during his years in Philly, while Caldwell played and coached under Reid during his time with the Eagles from 1999-01 (player) and from 2008-12 (coach).

Still, there are players that have ties to the team, too, including two players from the Chiefs and two from the Eagles that have played for Jacksonville at some point in their careers.

Here are the players:

QB Chad Henne (Chiefs)

Henne, 37, has played 15 seasons in the NFL and is in his fourth year in Kansas City as the team's backup quarterback to starting QB Patrick Mahomes.

In six years on the First Coast, Chad Henne started only 22 games and none at all in his final three seasons. Jaguars fans' expectations were always limited for the former Dolphins quarterback, let go after four interception-plagued years in Miami, and the Jags planned for him to back up Blaine Gabbert. When Gabbert stumbled, though, Henne ended up starting 13 games in 2013, going 4-9. Aside from three starts in 2014, he spent his remaining time in Jacksonville watching patiently behind the next man to bear the title of Jaguars starting quarterback, Blake Bortles.

Henne played five seasons with Jacksonville from 2012-17. He started 22 games, throwing for 5,817 yards, 27 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. Henne was the team's backup QB to multiple QBs during his time including Blaine Gabbert and Blake Bortles.

TE Blake Bell (Chiefs)

Perhaps unknown due to his short, one-year stint in Jacksonville in 2018, Bell has played eight years in the league, including the past two with the Chiefs. During his time in Jacksonville, Bell caught eight passes for 67 yards as a reserve.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Blake Bell (87) runs after a catch against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Blake Bell (87) runs after a catch against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

He started four games, while he played in 10 after being signed by the team on Oct. 16, 2018. Bell has played three total seasons with the Chiefs in his career, first joining the team for the 2019 season before re-joining the program in 2021.

CB Josiah Scott (Eagles)

Scott, who is playing his third season in the league, was drafted by the Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played in just six games for Jacksonville, accounting for 11 total tackles as a reserve nickel defensive back.

Scott was traded to the Eagles during the 2021 offseason in exchange for DB Jameson Houston and a 2023 sixth-round pick.

Jacksonville Jaguars free safety Andrew Wingard (42) and Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Josiah Scott (24) try to slow down Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) during second quarter action. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Cleveland Browns Sunday, November 29, 2020 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars trailed 13 to 17 at the end of the first half. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

Since then, the former Michigan State Spartan has played in 29 games for the Eagles, starting four in 2022. He has accounted for eight pass breakups and two interceptions to go along with his 26 total tackles this year.

QB Gardner Minshew II (Eagles)

Minshew is a name that all Jaguars fans know and likely loved - at least for a time. He began his career with Jacksonville in 2019 after being drafted by the team in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He was forced into a starting role during his rookie season after former Jaguars QB Nick Foles was lost for the year in the first game of the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) after defeating the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla. Jaguars won 38-20.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) after defeating the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla. Jaguars won 38-20.

Minshew started 12 games as a rookie, completing 60.6 percent of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. Minshew went on to earn several nicknames with the era being known as "Minshew Mania" after Jacksonville won six games with him as a starter.

The sixth-round QB went on to start eight games the following season in Jacksonville, completing 66.1 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He'd later be benched, however.

In 2021, just before the season began, Minshew was traded to the Eagles for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Since joining the Eagles, Minshew has started four games due to an injury to Hurts, while he has thrown seven touchdowns and four interceptions.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Four former Jaguars set to play in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday