Jaguars fire Pederson after 3 seasons
The Jacksonville Jaguars fired head coach Doug Pederson after three seasons Monday.
"I had the difficult task this morning of informing Doug Pederson of my intention to hire a new head coach to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars," team owner Shad Khan wrote in a statement obtained by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Pederson posted a 22-29 record during his Jaguars tenure. The veteran coach led the Jaguars to a 9-8 record and an AFC South title in his first year with the team. Jacksonville staged an epic comeback against the Los Angeles Chargers, overcoming a 27-point deficit to advance past the wild-card round with a 31-30 win.
Pederson then led the Jaguars to another 9-8 campaign in 2023 before finishing this season 4-13. Jacksonville has lost 18 of its past 23 games.
"As much as Doug and I both wish his experience here in Jacksonville would have ended better, I have an obligation, first and foremost, to serve the best interests of our team and, especially, our fans, who faithfully support our team and are overdue to be rewarded," Khan added.
Pederson was brought in to help mentor 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. However, the young quarterback hasn't recaptured the production from his first year with Pederson. Lawrence started 10 games this season before being placed on injured reserve with a concussion. He also dealt with a sprained AC joint.
Jacksonville's defense plummeted toward the bottom of the league this past year. The unit surrendered 389.9 yards per game (31st in the NFL) and 25.6 points per contest in its first year under coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
Khan also announced that the club will retain general manager Trent Baalke. Jacksonville's GM will be one of a few executives tasked with helping the franchise hire its sixth coach since 2012. The Jaguars' next coach is expected to report directly to ownership, according to Rapoport.
The 74-year-old owner doesn't believe that retaining Baalke will impact interest from head coach candidates, stating that the team has "a very compelling case" to offer, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
Khan entered this season with high expectations for the franchise, describing the team as "the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever," according to USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz.
The Jaguars hold the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.