Justin Peelle was originally named the Eagles assistant tight ends coach during the 2013 offseason after finishing a 10-year NFL career as a tight end in 2012. After spending two years in the role, Peelle was promoted to tight ends coach during the 2015 offseason.
Eagles tight ends excelled during the team's 2017 Super Bowl season, as Philadelphia was one of just two teams in the NFL to boast two TEs with at least five receiving touchdowns each (Zach Ertz and Trey Burton). Ertz was named to his first career Pro Bowl after finishing third in the NFL among tight ends with 824 receiving yards and logging a career-high eight touchdowns. He became the first Eagles tight end to post three consecutive seasons with 800 receiving yards since Pete Retzlaff from 1963-65. Burton logged a career-high five receiving touchdowns and TE Brent Celek continued to be a force in the run game.
In 2016, under Peelle's guidance, Ertz led the Eagles in receptions (78), receiving yards (816) and receiving touchdowns (four). Ertz's 78 catches marked a new career high, were the second-most ever by an Eagles tight end (Keith Jackson, 81 in 1988) and ranked fifth in the NFL among tight ends in 2016. Peelle also helped coach third-year Burton to a career season, as the former undrafted free agent logged career highs in receptions (37) and receiving yards (327).
Peelle took over as the Eagles tight ends coach in 2015 and helped Ertz set career highs in receptions (75) and receiving yards (853). In the final four weeks of the season, Ertz became a focal point of the offense as he went on to total 35 catches for 450 receiving yards. His performance over that four-game stretch set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a tight end from Weeks 14-17.
Peelle coached a group of Eagles tight ends in 2014 that combined for 93 catches, 1,101 yards and six touchdowns, led by Ertz who hauled in 58 catches for 702 yards and three TDs. In addition to Ertz, TEs James Casey and Celek also found the end zone in 2014, marking the sixth time in franchise history and the first time since 2007 that the Eagles featured three tight ends with at least one receiving touchdown in the same season. Ertz's 15 receptions at Was. (12/20) set a single-game franchise record and tied for the second-highest total by an NFL tight end since 1960. In 2014, the Eagles tight ends contributed to an offense that set franchise records in points (474), touchdowns (54), completions (390), gross passing yards (4,581) and first downs (356).
In his first year as a member of the Eagles coaching staff in 2013, Peelle helped the Eagles offense set franchise records in points (442 - broken in 2014), total net yards (6,676), touchdowns (53 - broken in 2014), passing yards (4,406 - broken in 2014) and fewest turnovers (19). With Peelle's assistance, the Eagles 14.2 yards per catch was the highest by any team since the 2000 St. Louis Rams (14.5).
Originally a fourth-round draft choice of the Chargers in 2002, Peelle played in the NFL for 10 seasons, including stints with the San Diego Chargers (2002-05), Miami Dolphins (2006-07), Atlanta Falcons (2008-10) and San Francisco 49ers (2011), amassing 123 receptions for 1,003 yards and 12 TDs in 151 games. He was also a member of Pittsburgh's training camp roster in 2012, but was released during final roster cutdown.
Playing collegiately at Oregon, Peelle finished his career with 70 catches for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns in 42 games. He earned first-team All-Pac 10 honors as a senior, finishing as a semi-finalist for the John Mackey Award (given annually to the nation's top tight end) after collecting 34 catches for 491 yards and nine touchdowns.
A four-time All-Pac-10 Academic Team selection, Peelle graduated from Oregon with a degree in political science. Born on March 15, 1979, he and his wife, Sara, have two sons, Morris and Thompson, and a daughter, Ada.
