Jaguars move on from coach Doug Pederson after yet another loss

For Doug Pederson as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars, his hire was a fresh start. Pederson had a Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles, but a sour finish there. The Jaguars had an exciting young quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and needed a professional at head coach after the Urban Meyer debacle.

It turned out to be a bad relationship all around.

Pederson, who fired his defensive coordinator after a massive collapse last season, had to be the one to pay the price for the Jaguars’ awful season this time around. The Jaguars fired Pederson on Monday after finishing 4-13 this season. One of those defeats included a horrific 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions that dropped Jacksonville to 2-9. It was the worst loss in Jaguars history.

The day before that game, NFL Media reported that the Jaguars could make major changes, including with Pederson, before the team’s Week 12 bye. It was odd to see someone in the organization leak that before a game, but the possibility of Pederson being fired wasn’t surprising either given the downward spiral the team has been in.

Pederson managed to hang on for the rest of the season, but he’s now done in Jacksonville after three years.

The Jaguars improved in the first season after Meyer — it was almost impossible to be worse — but it slowly got worse for Pederson after that. The Jaguars started this season with a winless September that included choking away a lead against the Miami Dolphins, being blasted on Monday night by the Buffalo Bills and losing another game in the final minute against the Houston Texans. The Jaguars barely won a home game against a shorthanded Indianapolis Colts team, but then went to London and looked listless in a loss to the Chicago Bears. Jacksonville dropped games to the Eagles, Pederson’s former team, and the Vikings after that.

The Jaguars weren’t happy to see such a poor start shortly after Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million contract. Pederson was in trouble from very early in the season.

Doug Pederson’s time with Jaguars ends

Pederson looked like he’d be a top NFL coach for many years after the Eagles won the Super Bowl. He outcoached Bill Belichick in that Super Bowl. That was at the end of his second season as an NFL head coach.

It went downhill fast. He went 40-41-1 over the next five seasons, never winning more than nine games in any season. He was fired by the Eagles after the offense and specifically Carson Wentz regressed and there were questions about his choices at assistant coach. The Jaguars saw his championship pedigree and gave him a shot, and in his first season the Jaguars made the playoffs and had a historic comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round. That was the peak in Duval County.

In 2023, the Jaguars were 8-3 to start the season but lost five of their final six games and missed the playoffs. Lawrence’s ankle injury, which he played through but hindered his performance, was a factor. Pederson fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell after the season but kept offensive coordinator Press Taylor, and the latter decision was questioned.

It set up a season in which Pederson had to produce better results, and the Jaguars got off to a horrendous start.

Who will get Jaguars job?

The Jaguars job will be attractive to anyone who thinks Lawrence can still be a franchise quarterback. Plus the new head coach will walk in with the Jaguars owning the 5th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Lawrence has played at a high level but consistency has been an issue. He played in 10 games this season due to injuries, the fewest single-season starts in his four-year career. Those injuries included a concussion and a sprained AC joint.

He’s not going anywhere, considering his contract and lofty pedigree as a top prospect coming out of Clemson. The new head coach will succeed if he can get Lawrence playing at a higher level and keep him on that level consistently. Upgrading the cast around Lawrence will be a priority too.

Even though Pederson had an offensive background, given how important Lawrence reaching his ceiling is for the franchise, it seems like the Jaguars will focus on another offensive-minded head coach in their interviews.

There hasn’t been a lot for the Jaguars to get excited about. Lawrence was supposed to be a franchise savior but that hasn’t happened. Pederson was going to elevate Lawrence but it’s hard to say that happened either. A rough start to Pederson’s third season ensured he wouldn’t get a fourth.