May have been, but we don't know that. All we know is that Pederson was the coach when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. A lot of these other hires are based on hope that they've found the next hidden gem of a coach. Pederson may not be a gem, but he's done it. That deserves recognition in my eyes when you are looking for a head coach.
That's why I was OK with the McCarthy hire. He may never achieve what he did in Green Bay, but I feel better about the chances than if the Joneses had done something like promote Moore. Finding coaches to win Super Bowls isn't easy, so I'd rather go with one who has. If McCarthy fails, Payton would be next on my list for the same reason.