REPORT: Jaguars Present Ben Johnson Best Shot at Quick Success

The Jacksonville Jaguars are still sorting through their head coaching options a week after firing former coach Doug Pederson.

Jacksonville wasted no time in making the decision to fire Pederson, but they must wisely take their time and do their due diligence on their head coaching search.

The Jaguars have long been rumored to be interested in Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, amongst other coaches.

Jason Katz of Pro Football Focus analyzed the open coaching vacancies around the league. He believes the Jaguars possess the most assets of any team Johnson is seriously considering.

Katz noted why Jacksonville may be right for Johnson.

"On the surface, the Jaguars may not seem like a great spot," Katz said. "It’s always a challenge for new head coaches to go to teams without an answer at quarterback. Of course, that’s a big part of why these teams are looking for new head coaches.

"The Jaguars may not have their answer at quarterback, but they aren’t entirely devoid of talent. Brian Thomas Jr. already looks like one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and they have a ton of talent on defense.

Katz believes Johnson would first have to find a way to get the most out of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on the field. While Katz also believes Johnson will have to convince the Jaguars' front office of Lawrence's value, the nearly $300 million contract they gave Lawrence speaks volumes about how much Jacksonville's front office values him.

While Johnson would have a large say in the matter, the Jaguars' front office seems content with Lawrence as their quarterback despite his losing record since entering the league.

"Johnson should be able to convince the front office that Trevor Lawrence is nothing more than a low-end NFL starter/high-end backup," Katz said. "Lawrence finished 31st in PFN’s QB+ Metric with a 64.9 (D) grade, his lowest ranking in four seasons. He averaged -0.02 EPA per dropback, meaning he averaged negative EPA per dropback in three out of his four seasons (the exception being 2022). His 46% success rate in 2024 was also his lowest since his rookie year in 2021.

"If Johnson can successfully convince ownership to move on from Lawrence, that should buy him at least two years to figure out the quarterback position. Given how great he’s made Jared Goff look in Detroit (which is not to say Goff isn’t talented), Johnson should be able to make the Jaguars competitive as long as he can get league-average QB play. Unfortunately, he’s not getting that from Lawrence."

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