The Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped up what turned out to be a disappointing 2024 season with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the finale. Expected to make the playoffs and compete for the AFC South title, they instead went 4-13. If the Jags want to bounce back, they'll need to make significant changes to the coaching staff and the roster.
This begs the question, which players and coaches won't return to the Jaguars in 2025? These nine come to mind.
Brandon Scherff, right guard
During his seven-year stint with the Washington Commanders, Brandon Scherff was one of the premier right guards in the NFL. That's why he was able to get a top-market contract from the Jaguars in 2022. Three years later, it's fair to say that they didn't get enough bang for their buck.
Sure, Scherff managed to stay healthy with the Jags, something that he failed to do with the Commanders. However, he was being paid to play at a Pro Bowl level in Jacksonville, and he rarely ever did.
The former Iowa Hawkeye is 33 and slated to hit the open market. Add the fact that the regime that brought him to Jacksonville might no longer be in place, and it's hard to envision the veteran guard re-signing with the Jaguars.
D'Ernest Johnson, running back
After going undrafted in 2018, D'Ernest Johnson had to prove his worth with the Orlando Apollos of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football before NFL teams noticed him. The Cleveland Browns ended up signing in 2019, and the former South Florida Bull spent four seasons making the most of his chances behind Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb.
During his stint with the Browns, Johnson averaged 5.2 yards per carry, so it was fair to assume that the Jaguars got a bargain when he signed him in 2023. The truth is that the Jags got a player who was unremarkable and didn't do much of note the past two years.
Moreover, Johnson was given a chance to make game-winning plays against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Las Vegas Raiders and came up short both times. Expect the Jaguars to bolster their backfield in the offseason.
Press Taylor, offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor has been the subject of controversy since Doug Pederson entrusted him with playcalling duty full-time in 2023. Since then, he's been under lots of scrutiny (at times unjustly) blamed for the offense's shortcomings. Then again, he's failed to adjust his scheme and hasn't done enough to put his players in a position to succeed, so the criticism has been warranted.
If Taylor were with another team, he would've been demoted or even dismissed a while back. However, Pederson has gone out of the way to defend him. In the end, the head coach's devotion to his protegee could be one of the many reasons he will be given his walking papers.
Ronald Darby, cornerback
Even though Darious Williams was the team's best cornerback in 2023, the front office didn't think he was worth the $11 million he was set to make in 2024 and released him in a cap-saving move. The issue was that Jacksonville signed Ronald Darby thinking he could produce nearly at the same level at a significantly lower rate.
In the end, the Jaguars got what they signed for, a veteran who was past his prime and was a liability in coverage. The Jaguars realized that grim reality late in the season, and chose to keep him in the sidelines the last four games.
Darby still has one year left on the deal he signed with the Jaguars in 2024, but given that they could create free space without incurring much dead money, he'll probably be let go.
Andre Cisco, safety
Safety Andre Cisco was a ballhawk at Syracuse. Unfortunately, he slid in the 2021 draft because he had injury red flags. He managed to stay healthy, and after spending most of his rookie campaign on the sidelines, he became a staple of the Jaguars defense in 2022.
The New York, Queens native kept getting better and was seen as a potential breakout candidate in 2024. However, he came up short of expectations and was even phased out in favor of fellow safety Antonio Johnson late in the season. While Cisco still made a few plays, he didn't make nearly enough to warrant a new deal. He's now scheduled to become a free agent.
Ryan Nielsen, defensive coordinator
Even though the Jaguars had a few roster holes in 2023, they had enough talent to field a top-10 defense. However, the unit underachieved under Mike Caldwell, so the team gave him the boot and brought in Ryan Nielsen to take his place.
Nielsen routinely got the most out of his players in his previous two stops, the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons, so the expectation was that he was going to do the same in Jacksonville. However, his work leading the defense in 2024 left much to be desired.
When the Jags hired Nielsen, he talked about the need to put an emphasis on fundamentals and technique. However, his unit lacked both traits in 2024. His players were routinely caught out of position and got unnecessary flags for things such as offsides, showing a dearth of discipline.
Even if Doug Pederson stayed beyond 2024, he would've needed to look for another defensive coordinator because Nielsen did a dreadful job.
Christian Kirk, wide receiver
Wide receiver Christian Kirk became a key contributor for the Jaguars when he signed with them in 2022. However, he's suffered a season-ending injury each of the past two years.
While Kirk still has one year left of the contract he got in 2022, his days with the Jaguars are over. Heck, he would've been gone already if he hadn't suffered a collarbone injury in 2024.
Heading into the trade deadline, Jacksonville was in talks to ship the former Texas A&M Aggies to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Given that they can free up more than $10 million in cap space next season if they release him or trade him, it's hard to see him return.
Mac Jones, quarterback
Mac Jones was a first-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2021. He made the Pro Bowl and made the playoffs as a rookie. However, he regressed so baldy the following two years that he was benched several times. By the end of the 2023 season, the Pats had seen enough and traded him to the Jags in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
The move looked great at the time because the Jaguars wanted to bolster the depth behind Trevor Lawrence and Jones had flashed earlier in his career. Unfortunately, he struggled when he was pressed into action. Granted, the Alabama product showed progress late in the season but not nearly enough to make you think that he'll be back in 2025.
Doug Pederson, head coach
Update: The Jags dismissed Doug Pederson on Black Monday
There are many reasons the Jaguars failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row and took a significant step backward in 2024. The biggest one without a doubt was Doug Pederson's inability to navigate through adversity. The head coach enjoyed immediate success when he took over the team in 2022. His presence and leadership were key to helping Jacksonville recover from the Urban Meyer era.
Sadly, the Jaguars kept getting worse and not improving after Pederson's first season. He didn't appear to have a sense of urgency and didn't coach his players hard enough. The team then took on personality and was frequently bullied.
To make matters worse, Pederson clung to right-hand man Press Taylor despite the fact that he failed to deliver results. Heck, he went out of his way to defend his protegee and even threw players under the bus to defend him.
Pederson's fealty to Taylor could cost him his job for the second straight time. Then again, that won't be the only reason he'll get the boot. If that were the only issue, he would probably be asked to just bring in a different offensive coordinator, but that's not the case.
To add insult to injury, Pederson wanted to beat the Colts in Week 18, so he could at least finish on a high note. However, the Jaguars lost, and he'll leave knowing he was unable to right the ship after having success early in his stint in Jacksonville.