Less than two years ago, Doug Pederson was on the brink of achieving a rare feat—becoming the first coach in NFL history to secure Super Bowl victories with two different teams. Today, however, his tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars could be teetering on the edge, with speculation that he may not even have a handful of games left to salvage his position. In fact, there’s a growing sentiment that his days might be numbered—perhaps as few as one.
After a promising 8-3 start in 2023, the Jaguars have found themselves on a dismal downward spiral, dropping eight of their last nine contests. This alarming stretch has them sitting at 0-3 after a crushing 47-10 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. While that blowout alone may not entirely seal Pederson’s fate, it becomes increasingly pertinent when viewed through the lens of owner Shad Khan’s recent remarks. Last month, Khan made it abundantly clear: “Winning is now the expectation. Make no mistake, this is the best team ever assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars—best players, best coaches. But more than anything, we need to prove it by winning now.”
The unraveling began in Week 1 after Jacksonville built a seemingly solid 17-7 lead against Miami, only to let the game slip away. Since then, the trajectory has been nothing short of catastrophic. A loss to a Browns squad that hardly resembles last season’s playoff-caliber team further deepened the hole. And then came tonight’s debacle in Buffalo—a game marked by lackluster play and complete disarray on the field.
Although it would come as a significant surprise if Pederson were not on the flight back to Jacksonville (and for far different reasons than Urban Meyer’s infamous decision to stay behind after a prime-time road loss), the feeling is unmistakable—Pederson’s opportunities to turn this around are dwindling rapidly.
The road ahead offers little respite. After returning from upstate New York, the Jaguars face the Houston Texans. From there, they’ll host the Colts before embarking on their annual trek to London, where they’ll take on the Bears and Patriots in back-to-back weeks. While there is no bye week following their Week 7 matchup at Wembley Stadium, it’s not hard to imagine that failing to right the ship soon could lead to an abrupt change, possibly as early as next week—or, more realistically, after their sojourn in the UK.
Pederson’s squad could still orchestrate a swift reversal, much like the way last season spiraled in the opposite direction. However, if they continue to falter, the weight of Khan’s words will loom even heavier. Since acquiring the franchise in December 2011, Khan has dismissed four head coaches. None of those previous coaches faced the heightened expectations that now sit squarely on Pederson’s shoulders.
The clock is ticking, and time may be running out faster than anyone anticipated.