Doug Pederson's job with the Jaguars could be stolen by hottest OC in the NFL
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a pretty good head coach in Doug Pederson. While they failed to make the playoffs last year, there's no reason to think Pederson is on the hot seat entering the 2024 season. However, an analyst doesn't think that will impede the Jags from pursuing one of the hottest offensive coordinators in the NFL next year.
Analyst Brett Kollman believes Jacksonville could be a legitimate landing spot for Detroit Lions coordinator Ben Johnson, one of the most coveted candidates in the last head-coaching cycle.
What Ben Johnson is essentially saying here is that if there is a job that comes open with a really good quarterback and an owner that isn't trigger happy, he'll take it.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) May 31, 2024
I have to imagine that if Harbaugh wasn't in the running for the Chargers job, he would have gone for it. https://t.co/hC3V6rPKXw
Johnson recently said that he was looking for the perfect situation but because he didn't find it, he returned to Detroit. Kollman understood the comments as the offensive coordinator wanting to land on a team with a good quarterback and a patient owner.
Analyst Matt Miller chimed in and brought up the Dallas Cowboys as a potential landing spot. Kollman then mentioned the Jaguars as another team that fits the description. Here's the exchange.
or Jacksonville
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) May 31, 2024
Keep in mind that this isn't a report but rather a read on the current head-coaching landspace. There are no signs Jacksonville wants to move on from Doug Pederson or that they would be interested in hiring Ben Johnson in 2025.
Pederson, a former NFL quarterback, began his coaching career as an assistant for Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles. When Reid became the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Pederson followed him and was appointed as the offensive coordinator. He was hired as the head coach of the Eagles in 2016. He won the Super Bowl the next year.
During his five-year stint in Philly, Pederson made the playoffs three times. He wanted to promote Press Taylor to offensive coordinator after the 2020 season but because owner Jeffrey Lurie didn't approve of his choice, he stepped away. After a year away from football, he became the head coach for the Jaguars. In his first season at the helm, they won the AFC South and made the playoffs, a feat they hadn't achieved since 2017.
It's hard to see the Jaguars making a push for Ben Johnson in 2025
It's fair to say that Doug Pederson's seat is currently as warm as it can be. It would take a full collapse for owner Shad Khan or an off-field controversy to consider moving on from his head coach. And that's the thing, Khan is one of the most patient owners in the NFL, often giving his coaches and executives ample time to prove themselves.
Khan only kicked Urban Meyer to the curb when he became too much of a liability to remain in place. Had he not been involved in so many incidents, there's a reason to believe he would've had a longer leash, even if he had a losing record on the field.
Other than Meyer, Khan has proven to be patient to a fault. He held onto Gus Bradley and Doug Marrone for too long. The same is true for former general manager Dave Caldwell. Granted, Khan has been more hands-on in recent years and perhaps he'll want more immediate results move forward. But even if that were the case, Pederson has delivered, so there's no reason to believe he would pursue the likes of Ben Johnson or Bill Belichick in 2025.
Based on his track record, Shad Khan will exercise patience when it comes to Doug Pederson, so don't expect him to act impulsively in the next coaching cycle.
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