Doug Pederson hot seat: Jaguars HC addresses job status following tough start

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is one of the top names being mentioned currently when NFL fans hear the two words: hot seat. Coaching security in the NFL is never for very long, and if things turn bad quickly, well the coach is usually one of the first people to get canned. The Jaguars currently sit at 0-4 after losing to the Texans on Sunday and head coach Doug Pederson is feeling the heat.

Shortly after the loss, Pederson downplayed any sort of questions about his job status. “My status? I mean, no. Kind of a strange question, but OK,” Pederson said to a reporter via ProFootballTalk.

The loss to the Texans on Sunday comes on the heels of an embarrassing 47-10 beatdown in Buffalo in which the Jags showed few signs of life early. And by the time they did in that game, it was out of hand and Jacksonville had no chance of coming back. On Sunday, the Jags led for much of the second half after a touchdown catch by Christian Kirk with about six minutes left.

Under Pederson, the Jags have put together 9-8 seasons in back-to-back seasons. But they haven’t been able to find the same success they had in 2022, when he guided them to the AFC Divisional Round. They finished 1st in the AFC South that year. And put up much better numbers under Pederson than the previous head coach (Urban Meyer).

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence put together back-to-back seasons of over 4,000 passing yards in 2022 and 2023. That’s right around the threshold where many believed he should be as a passer. He also completed over 65% of his passes in each of those seasons. This season, his numbers are down substantially, with Lawrence just completing 53.3% of his passes so far.

Doug Pederson was at the peak of his powers with the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles. He guided them to a 13-3 season and somehow led them to a miraculous Super Bowl Championship with Nick Foles at quarterback. That will forever be one of the best teams that Pederson has ever coached. Foles completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, while tossing in three touchdowns with one interception. Philadelphia defeated New England 41-33 in one of the best Super Bowl battles in NFL history.