Head coach Doug Pederson has been in the hot seat this season. And following the 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions, it looked like Shad Khan was ready to make a move. However, Pederson hasn't gone anywhere. While the owner could change his mind, he might end up keeping him for the remainder of the season, and maybe even beyond 2024.
Pederson had a media availability session one day after the loss to Chicago. Even though it's common for coaches to meet with reports Monday, the team's underwhelming performance — along with speculation about his job security — built anticipation ahead of his exchange with the media.
The time came and Pederson said he had not spoken to Khan and had no meetings scheduled. He then said that even if he did sit down with the owner, he wouldn't talk about the things they discussed, which is reasonable.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson said he does not have a meeting scheduled with owner Shad Khan at this point.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) November 18, 2024
For the sake of argument, let's say Khan berated him. How would Pederson benefit from sharing the details? Similarly, if he were told his job is safe, he wouldn't be going around talking about it.
Ultimately, it was a bit surprising that Monday came and Khan didn't make a switch. After all, Josina Anderson reported a few days before the Lions game that the owner would like to wait until the offseason to make a decision but would be willing to make changes if Jacksonville got blown out, which ended up happening.
Similarly, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media broke the news that the coaching staff and the personnel department had braced themselves for the possibility of getting their walking papers.
Heck, Pederson talked about the uncertainty regarding his job status, telling the press corps that he was aware of the business side of the NFL but would focus on what he could control.
Doug Pederson on whether today’s 52-6 loss to Detroit may have been his final game as #Jaguars coach: “I can’t control that. Listen, I’ve been around this league a long time. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen obviously. But at the same time, I have a job to do.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 17, 2024
Why the Jaguars could end up keeping Doug Pederson in 2024 (and beyond)
Pederson led the Jaguars to back-to-back winning seasons, a feat the team hadn't achieved since 2004-2005. Although they missed the playoffs last year, they're in relatively good shape. Granted, the Jags have come up short of expectations in 2024 but maybe the head coach built enough good grace during his two years, that Shad Khan may let him finish the year or even keep him beyond that.
Keep in mind that Khan gave Gus Bradley and Doug Marrone more time than either one probably deserved, so it wouldn't be out of character for him to give Pederson one more season to prove himself. On the other hand, keeping him around may come with a few conditions.
One day after the loss to the Lions, Pederson said that he would talk to this staff but didn't have any changes planned at the moment. He later said that everything was on the table when asked if he would consider taking over playcalling on offense but noted that he wasn't going to point fingers.
Doug Pederson says "we're not there" when asked about what procedure would be for firing DC Ryan Nielsen
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) November 18, 2024
"I think you gotta be really careful when you start pointing fingers at certain people... if you're gonna point a finger, point it at me"#Jaguars | #DUUUVAL
Pederson deserves credit for not throwing his coaches under the bus, but he'll need to make changes in the upcoming weeks or in the offseason to keep his job. This makes sense when you take into account that things aren't working right now. Why would he keep the same group without making changes?
Now, it's not a given that Doug Pederson will keep his job, but it shouldn't be ruled out. Then again, he'll need to compromise, and it will be interesting to see if he will. He didn't when he was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, and that led to his departure. He may not be willing to do it in Jacksonville either.