"I have not lost the locker room": Doug Pederson addresses rumors after Jaguars fall to 0-4
Doug Pederson has been on the hot seat for a while now. The Jacksonville Jaguars are sitting on zero victories going into Week 5 of the season. That's after having the second-highest-paid QB (Trevor Lawrence) in the league.
What's worse, if one considers the last games, including six from last year, and the Jags have won only one of them. That too against the Carolina Panthers, which were at the bottom of the league in 2023.
Coach Pederson was asked if he had lost the confidence of the locker room.
"I would know," he said. "I talk to those guys every day. I see them every day. And no, I have not lost the locker room. I think these guys have done everything I’ve asked.
"They continue to play and practice hard and battle. And it’s a good group — the right leaders in there. They know — they know what we need to do. They’re not making excuses for it. I’m not making excuses. We’ve just got to go do it."
When he was asked if he felt that his career might be in jeopardy because of the team's poor performance, Pederson said that it was a "strange" question.
"But, obviously, you’re going to go through some setbacks in this league and there’s going to be some times where — you’re going to come on some hard times. That’s just part of this game," Pederson added.
Who could replace Doug Pederson as the Jaguars' HC?
Bill Belichick, the eight-time Super Bowl champion, has been touted as Doug Pederson's replacement. Albert Breer, speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, said:
"They’re just a sneaky one with Belichick for me." (2:45)
Another option could be Jim Schwartz, the Cleveland Brown's defensive coordinator.
Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions' OC, could be another replacement for Doug Pederson. He developed Jared Goff into the QB who recently went 18-for-18 in his last game. Maybe Trevor Lawrence needs a Ben Johnson to unlock his potential as a franchise QB.
However, it's unlikely the Jaguars top brass will make a change in the coaching staff midseason. Is it time for Jags fans to write off this season?