The Jacksonville Jaguars have been spiraling for much of the 2024 NFL season, to the point team ownership entered Sunday’s Week 11 matchup with the Detroit Lions ready for potentially sweeping changes. Coach Doug Pederson is well aware of the mounting pressure, telling reporters after a 52-6 loss to Detroit that he has no sense of his job security moving forward.
“I can’t control that,” Pederson said when asked if Sunday’s game could be his last, via NFL.com. “Listen, I’ve been around this league a long time. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. But at the same time, I still have a job to do, and that’s to get ready for a good division opponent here in two weeks.”
Pederson added that he’s “frustrated” and “angry” following the blowout loss, the club’s fourth straight defeat. He suggested the Jaguars’ upcoming Week 12 bye is coming “at a right time,” saying “our guys need some time away.”
Still employed Monday, Pederson was asked about potential changes to his coaching staff at his regular press conference.
“I think you got to be really, really careful when you start pointing fingers at certain people,” Pederson said, via NFL Media. “That’s a dangerous thing, and I’m not going to do that. Not doing it. Not right now. As a head coach in this league that’s going through what we’re going through, you’re pointing a finger. And if it needs to be pointed, it needs to be pointed at me. Start with me. That’s enough on that.”
Pederson did say that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to potential changes in play-callers, but of course, he might not be the one making that decision.
CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported prior to Sunday’s game that Jacksonville is facing “significant changes sooner than later,” echoing an NFL Media report that the Jaguars were likely to make a “dramatic move” of some kind in the event they lost to Detroit to fall to 2-9 on the season.
Pederson is now 20-25 as Jaguars coach, going 9-8 in his first two seasons atop the staff. He led Jacksonville to an upset playoff victory in his first year on the job, but missed the postseason in 2023.
Read the full article here
