Jaguars Head Coach Search: Pros and Cons to Doug Pederson's Candidacy
Well, here we are again.
One year after the Jacksonville Jaguars conducted a search for a new head coach to replace Doug Marrone, the team finds itself in the same situation this winter, now looking for a replacement for their replacement.
Names have been thrown around with vigor as potential candidates to replace Urban Meyer, while several interviews have been officially set up between coaches and the Jaguars' brass.
But who is the best candidate for the Jaguars? What does each of them bring to the table, on and off the field? From Jim Caldwell to Kellen Moore and everyone in between, we examine the pros and cons that come with each coach and their potential impact on the Jaguars.
Read more: Jaguars Head Coach Search: Pros and Cons to Jim Caldwell's Candidacy
Read more: Jaguars Head Coach Search: Pros and Cons to Nathaniel Hackett's Candidacy
Next up in our review of this year's candidates: Doug Pederson.
Background
- Calvary Baptist Academy (2005–2008): Head coach
- Philadelphia Eagles (2009–2010): Offensive quality control
- Philadelphia Eagles (2011–2012): Quarterbacks coach
- Kansas City Chiefs (2013–2015): Offensive coordinator
- Philadelphia Eagles (2016–2020): Head coach
While Pederson hasn't had many stops in his NFL coaching career, that doesn't mean the veteran head coach is a stranger to the league. Before Pederson got into coaching, he was an NFL quarterback for over a decade, backing up the likes of Dan Marino in Miami and Brett Favre in Green Bay, while also shortly serving as the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles in the early days of the Andy Reid era while a rookie Donovan McNabb sat and learned behind him.
It was under Reid's tutelage where Pederson would spend most of his coaching career once his playing days were over. After some time as a high school football head coach, Pederson was hired by Reid to his first NFL coaching gig as a offensive quality control coach for the Eagles.
Pederson worked his way up from quality control coach to quarterbacks coach after two seasons, serving in that role for the 2011 and 2012 seasons -- the final two years of Reid's time with the Eagles.
Pederson would follow Reid to his next stop following Reid's firing by the Eagles, once again getting promoted in the process. With Reid as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Pederson stepped into the offensive coordinator role for the first time, with Pederson even calling plays for Reid and the Chiefs during the 2015 season -- a season where the Chiefs finished No. 9 in scoring and No. 6 in offensive DVOA.
Pederson was then tabbed as Chip Kelly's replacement as the Eagles' head coach, returning him to his former stomping grounds. Pederson went 7-9 in his first season in charge before the Eagles' offense took a major leap in 2017, finishing No. 3 in points and No. 7 in offensive DVOA during a 13-3 season. Pederson then continued to impress as he went on to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory over the Patriots with a backup quarterback at the helm in Nick Foles.
Pederson went 9-7 in 2018 and 2019, making the playoffs each year and winning a Wild Card game in 2018. The offense took a step back but still never fell below No. 18 in points scored, though the entire unit cratered in 2020 as the Eagles went 4-11-1 and finished No. 26 in points and No. 28 in offensive DVOA, leading to Pederson's firing.
Pros
There are not many candidates -- if any at all -- who know more about the quarterback position than Pederson. While he may not have the extensive success rate at developing quarterbacks that Jim Caldwell has, Pederson offers a fresh and first-hand perspective to the position. The Jaguars need a coach who can communicate and gel with Trevor Lawrence, and Pederson's past suggests he should be more than capable of doing so.
"Getting the right guys in the door is a big part of establishing a strong quarterback room. Effectively building relationships with them and fostering their development is the next step, and I think my career path has really affected how I relate to that position," Pederson said in a piece for The 33rd Team in December.
"I’ve played at every level imaginable from practice squad, third string, second string, and starter for a little while. In that time, learning from Dan Marino and Brett Favre and playing with veterans like Jim McMahon, Bernie Kosar, Steve Bono, and Steve DeBerg significantly influenced my outlook on the position."
In short, Pederson knows what success looks like at quarterback. He has played with it, he has seen it coached, and he has coached it himself. Pederson is considered a fresh and forward thinker when it comes to offenses as well, always adjusting his scheme to fit his quarterback and putting them in positions to succeed.
Pederson can also hang his hat on three things. The endorsement of Reid, one of the NFL's most respected offensive minds of the current era; the development of Carson Wentz in his early years; and the success of Foles during the 2017 playoffs, a run that Foles has never been able to repeat (as Jaguars fans know good and well).
While Lawrence is a vastly different quarterback than both Wentz and Foles, it is worth noting that Pederson has been able to make it work with a range of quarterbacks, dating back to Alex Smith in Kansas City. Lawrence has plenty of areas to improve in, but he would also be the most talented quarterback Pederson will have had the chance to groom. Considering his success with less talented quarterbacks in the past, that should be enticing.
Cons
If you are Shad Khan, there should be one thing you need to find out about Pederson -- what went so wrong in Philadelphia? It isn't often that a coach wins a Super Bowl and becomes a beloved sports figure for an entire community one year and then three years later is left looking for work and replaced by Nick Sirianni.
Was Pederson's downfall with the Eagles his fault for not reloading his staff properly following the Super Bowl run? Or was Pederson the victim of a losing battle behind the scenes, with general manager Howie Roseman instead ending up on top? Neither would exactly bode well for Pederson, especially the latter point considering the likelihood of Trent Baalke remaining the Jaguars' general manager. If football politics was a problem with Roseman and the Eagles, there is reason to believe that could repeat with Baalke and the Jaguars.
Then there is Wentz. Wentz has been a lightning rod topic at the quarterback position, in large part because of the extreme variance his play has always offered. He has had extreme highs, such as legitimately MVP-level play and production in 2017 before injuries ended his season. But he was also arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL in 2020, and that is something Pederson has to take some responsibility for as head coach.
The fact that Wentz has remained maddeningly inconsistent with the Colts and Frank Reich is a good sign for Pederson, but it is a bit of a red flag that the young quarterback he is credited with developing is the same quarterback whose regression is arguably the biggest reason he lost his job with the Eagles.
