4 non-Bill Belichick candidates to replace Doug Pederson if the Jaguars fire him

The Jacksonville Jaguars are off to a not-so-great start in 2024. That's led to questions about whether Doug Pederson will still be their head coach next year. If the Jags do decide to move on from him, Bill Belichick has been brought up as a candidate to replace him. It's easy to see why.

Belichick earned six Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots and the expectation is that he would bring a similar level of success to Duval. On the other hand, there are a few things in his resume that should raise red flags.

The biggest one is that The Hoodie wasn't able to adjust to the departure of Tom Brady. Moreover, he wasn't great at identifying talent, and years of bad personnel decisions left the Pats devoid of good players. If that wasn't enough, he will probably want general manager powers in his next gig. That should give the Jags pause.

The fact that there will most likely be better candidates in the pool should make the Jags skip Belichick altogether. Heck, if they do have an opening in 2025, they should go after any of the following candidates.

Mike Vrabel

Back in 2018, Mike Vrabel became the head coach for the Tennessee Titans. He proceeded to give the Jags fits for several years.

With Vrabel at the helm, Tennessee was 8-4 against the Jags. Moreover, he knocked out Jacksonville out of playoff contention in 2023 in his last name as the head coach. Leaving aside his record against the Jaguars, he consistently got the most out of his players and even reached the AFC Championship in 2019.

During his six-year stint in Nashville, Vrabel led the Titans to four playoff trips. Ultimately, he was dismissed because he didn't share the same vision as general manager Ran Carthon. It's also worth noting that Carthon's predecessor made several questionable decisions — trading A.J. Brown on draft day — that made things difficult for Vrabel.

Ultimately, Vrabel needed a fresh start. He's currently working as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns. But if he wants a head-coaching job in 2025, and the Jaguars have a vacancy, they should consider getting in touch.

Shane Waldron

Sean McVay rightfully gets lots of praise for taking the Los Angeles Rams to two Super Bowls and winning one. However, he himself acknowledges that he didn't do it alone, and Shane Waldron was among those coaches who helped him turn things around.

After the Jeff Fisher era, Waldron joined McVay's staff and quickly got to work as the tight ends coach. He later got promoted to passing game coordinator and turned Jared Goff into a Pro Bowl player. The 2016 first overall pick would later stall but Waldron deserves praise for unlocking his potential. But as good as he was with the Rams, he would leave his best work for his next stop.

Waldron became the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021. He played a massive role in Geno Smith's resurgence. Seen as a journeyman for most of his NFL career, the former West Virginia standout played at a top-15 level under Waldron's tutelage and up until his departure to the Chicago Bears early in 2024.

While Waldron has had trouble getting the Bears' offense going in 2024, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. After all, he's had success everywhere he's gone. Don't be surprised if Chicago turns the corner as the season progresses. If they do, their offensive coordinator should be a hot commodity next year.

Ben Johnson

The Detroit Lions reached their first NFC Championship post-merger in 2023. Head coach Dan Campbell deservedly gets plenty of praise but offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also played a massive role in the team's success.

With Johnson leading the way, Goff enjoyed a career revival in Motor City. The former Rams quarterback was seen as a has-been late in his stint in LA but is once again playing at a high level.

Moreover, Johnson turned David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam Laporta, and Josh Raynolds into playmakers. In fact, other teams noticed his success in Detroit and made a strong effort to poach him. However, he chose to stay with the Lions and finished the job he started. Then again, things could be different in 2025, and if he leaves, the Jags should give him a call.

Bobby Slowik

Hiring Bobby Slowik would serve two purposes. First, they would weaken a divisional foe, and they would also land a coach that had success right off the bat. Expected to take a while to rebuild, the Houston Texans caught the league by storm in 2023, dethroning Jacksonville as the AFC South champions and making the playoffs.

Under Slowik's tutelage, C.J. Stroud played like a vested veteran in his rookie season. He's picked up where he left off in 2024. Other players such as Tank Dell, and Nico Collins also had banner years.

Things could change in a few months but Slowik may be the hottest head-coach candidate if Houston doesn't take its foot off the gas pedal. This means that it won't be cheap to hire him but the Jaguars should spare no expenses if they believe he's their guy.

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