The Jacksonville Jaguars must consider one more head coaching candidate.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently in the process of looking for their next head coach after moving on from Doug Marrone. Owner Shahid Kahn said the organization would take its time and wanted to cast a wide net in the search. If he really meant it, the team should grant former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson an interview.
Eagles owner Jeff Lurie released a statement in which he announced his decision to part ways with Pederson. He believes this is what’s best for the team and thanks the Super Bowl-winning head coach for his tenure in the ‘City of Brotherly Love’.
After finishing the 2020 season with a 4-11-1 record, it was uncertain whether Pederson was going to be back in Philadelphia. He recently met with Lurie to share his vision and his plan to right the ship. Based on the owner’s decision to give him the pink slip, the meeting didn’t go well.
During Pederson’s five-year tenure as the head coach, the Eagles had a 42-37-1 record in the regular season and 4-2 in the postseason. While it’s doesn’t sound overly impressive, he led the ‘Birds’ to their only Super Bowl victory in franchise history, which should get the Jaguars’ attention.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching search can take a bit more.
There are no reports linking Doug Pederson to the Jaguars’ head coaching job. In fact, Adam Schefter of ESPN and Jay Glazer of Fox Sports believe his relationship with New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas would make him a possible candidate for their own vacancy.
That shouldn’t deter the ‘Jags’ from pursuing Pederson. Shahid Kahn recently met with former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer, who is believed to be the favorite to land in Jacksonville. Regardless of how much interest the organization has for Meyer, there is no rush to hire him and no stone should be left unturned.
Pederson’s regular-season record isn’t great, but he’s not the reason why the Eagles have fallen from grace since their 2017 Super Bowl season. His play-calling left much to be desired in 2020 and he waited too long to bench quarterback Carson Wentz, who regressed significantly last season after playing at a high level in previous years.
Pederson should certainly be accountable for the Eagles’ lack of success in the last two seasons. His decision to sit quarterback Jalen Hurts in favor of Nate Sudfeld with the game still within reach in the season finale hasn’t been a popular one among fans and media alike nor it should be. Whether he willingly pulled his starting quarterback in order to get a more favorable draft slot shouldn’t define him as a head coach.
Doug Pederson could get the Jacksonville Jaguars back on track.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media says he talked to two people close to Pederson and based on what they both said, Doug Pederson was fed up with being told what to do. Last offseason, Jeff Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman pressured him to fire offensive coordinator offensive coordinator Mike Groh. This made Pederson angry and led him to threaten to quit in protest, per Jeff McLane of the Philly Inquirer.
Also, Pederson didn’t have much talent to work with. After loading the roster in 2017, Roseman failed to replenish the roster in the last two years. He signed expensive free agents and missed on many of his draft choices. Last season, the Eagles lacked talent and depth in pretty much every position group on the roster, with the exception of the defensive line. This should make Pederson’s success in previous seasons more remarkable.
This doesn’t mean the Jaguars should go out of their way to hire Pederson. They have to perform due diligence and determine how much of a role he had in the Eagles’ dearth of success last season. By the same token, they need to consider his track record as a head coach and how much of an influence he had in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run, and the best way to find out is by granting him an interview.