JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars are in another offseason of limbo, facing a new coaching search and the same old questions that have plagued them for just about the entirety of Shad Khan’s time as owner.
Jacksonville wrapped up a forgettable 4-13 season Sunday with an overtime loss to the Colts. The team plane spent seven hours on a snowy runaway in Indianapolis before it could take off. When the team finally returned in the early morning hours Monday, players got the news that Doug Pederson was being fired after three seasons and a slump that stretched across the last year and a half. Khan opted to keep general manager Trent Baalke, news that was met with disdain among the fanbase.
In the 13 seasons since Khan purchased the team from Wayne Weaver, Jacksonville is 64-148, the worst record in the NFL. The Browns (73-212-1) and Jets (74-212) rank 31st and 30th, respectively, in that time period. History suggests there’s not much reason for optimism. Jacksonville has turned in just three winning seasons in Khan’s tenure, including back-to-back 9-8 seasons under Pederson. At some point, things have to turn around for Khan and the Jaguars. It just wasn’t going to be with Pederson in charge.
“Obviously, it’s unfortunate because at the end of the day, we all had a hand in this season and just the way things have shaken out,” said receiver Christian Kirk.
Now, the Jaguars are preparing for another reset.
RELATED: Looking at candidates: Who could be the next Jaguars head coach? | Doug Pederson was fired by the Jaguars. But many fans are mad GM Trent Baalke is sticking around | Commentary: Architect behind the Jaguars ‘best team assembled’ should have been shown the door | Jaguars put in coach interview requests
Another coaching staff. Another offensive and defensive system. More change.
Players were widely appreciative of Pederson’s time as head coach and said that it was difficult to break down why things went so terribly wrong.
Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, one of the team’s most expensive free agent signees, said the struggles were more than just a thing or two.
“Can’t just put your finger on one thing, but one thing I will say is I appreciate everyone here. I appreciate the effort that we gave, how we stuck together, regardless of what was going on,” Armstead said. “And you know, I think there’s a lot of lot of promising things to look forward to. Jacksonville, the city, deserves a winning team, and we’re going to try to do everything we can to provide that. So, it’s a lot of work that needs to be done.”
Jacksonville needs quite a bit of work.
Injuries strafed the team, with season-ending injuries to Kirk, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, receiver Gabe Davis, reserve guard Cooper Hodges and tight end Evan Engram. But even before those injuries took a toll on the Jaguars, the team was inconsistent all over the field. Lawrence didn’t take a big step forward in his fourth season. Davis had more drops than touchdown catches. The defense was abysmal.
Pederson got rid of defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell after a late season collapse in 2023 and hired Ryan Nielsen. The defense got substantially worse with the move, something Jaguars owner Shad Khan referenced when he met with the media Monday. Pederson hung on to offensive coordinator Press Taylor, too, and continued to let him call plays in the game, despite Khan’s hope that Pederson would return to his playcalling roots.
Who will Jacksonville end up with? Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Bucs OC Liam Coen are the early betting favorites for the job, and both have been formally requested to interview. Safety Andre Cisco said he thinks the next coach should be a leader who can galvanize the locker room and have some experience in dealing with younger players.
“I think, especially the guys coming into the league with NIL in college, it’s a different generation, different mindset,” he said. “So guys that could relate in that aspect [would be a good hire].”
Armstead said he’s looking for a definitive leader in the team’s next head coaching hire.
“That’s above my pay grade,” he said. “But you know, I want to play for someone who loves football and wants to see you win and be successful, cares about his players, can build a brotherhood amongst all of us, someone to look towards, and gravitate towards, in adverse situations be a great leader. Those are type of things now that I look for.”
Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.