Jaguars fireplace coach Doug Pederson, preserve GM Trent Baalke after 4-13 season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars fired coach Doug Pederson however retained GM Trent Baalke on Monday, the workforce introduced.

Pederson’s firing comes after the workforce completed 4-13 this season; it has misplaced 18 of its previous 23 video games.

“I had the tough activity this morning of informing Doug Pederson of my intention to rent a brand new head coach to guide the Jacksonville Jaguars,” proprietor Shad Khan mentioned in a press release. “Doug is an achieved soccer man who will undoubtedly take pleasure in one other chapter in his spectacular NFL profession, and I might be rooting for Doug and his spouse Jeannie when that event arrives. As a lot as Doug and I each want his expertise right here in Jacksonville would have ended higher, I’ve an obligation at the start to serve the very best pursuits of our workforce and particularly our followers, who faithfully help our workforce and are overdue to be rewarded. In that spirit, the time to summon new management is now.

“I strongly consider it’s attainable subsequent season to revive the profitable surroundings we had right here not way back. I’ll collaborate with Basic Supervisor Trent Baalke and others, inside and near our group, to rent a pacesetter who shares my ambition and is able to seize the extraordinary alternative we’ll provide in Jacksonville.”

Khan will now be trying to find his sixth head coach since he bought the workforce in November 2011 and assumed management in 2012. Baalke is getting into the ultimate 12 months of his contract.

“When you do not win, there’s modifications that come from in all areas, teaching, administration, and the gamers,” tight finish Evan Engram mentioned. “So there’s going to be plenty of modifications transferring ahead based mostly on us not getting the job completed. And it is unlucky. It has been a fantastic three years enjoying for Doug. I’ve discovered loads. I’ve grown loads, and this place is unquestionably going to develop from the experiences we have had underneath him and transferring ahead. “It is positively going to be completely different, however I recognize Doug for every thing he is completed and want him the very best transferring ahead.”

Khan had large expectations for 2024, telling the workforce the evening earlier than coaching camp started final July that this was the “finest workforce assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever” and that he anticipated the workforce to make the playoffs. These feedback grew to become public through an in-house documentary launched in early September. However as a substitute, his workforce set an NFL report with 10 one-score losses, essentially the most in a single season within the Tremendous Bowl period (since 1966).

Pederson went 22-29 in three seasons with the Jaguars, together with 9-8 information in his first two seasons. Jacksonville received the AFC South in 2022 — profitable its final 5 video games — and rallied from a 27-0 deficit to beat the Chargers in a wild-card playoff recreation earlier than shedding to the eventual Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs. After beginning the 2023 season 8-3, the Jaguars fell aside and missed the playoffs, going 1-5 to finish the season.

Final season’s struggles spilled over into 2024. A 37-point loss on “Monday Night time Soccer” on the Buffalo Payments and a 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in London highlighted main points early on. A 52-6 loss at Detroit on Nov. 17 was the biggest margin of defeat in franchise historical past (eclipsing a 44-point loss to Detroit within the 1995 inaugural season) and the protection gave up 645 yards, the second-most allowed in a recreation in franchise historical past.

The Jaguars have one of many NFL’s worst defenses, rating thirty first within the NFL in yards allowed per recreation (389.9) and final in passing yards allowed per recreation (257.4) underneath coordinator Ryan Nielsen, whom Pederson employed to interchange Mike Caldwell this previous offseason.

Khan employed Pederson partly to assist Trevor Lawrence become one of many league’s prime quarterbacks, however Lawrence nonetheless struggles with consistency after three seasons in Pederson’s offense. Lawrence threw for two,045 yards and 11 touchdowns earlier than a shoulder harm and concussion Dec. 1 ended his season. His completion share (60.6%) is the second-lowest of his profession, and he continues to wrestle with turnovers.

Pederson additionally has confronted heavy criticism about offensive coordinator Press Taylor, who took over full-time playcalling duties in 2023. After saying he was going to reevaluate the playcalling course of final February, Pederson refused to publicly say who was going to name performs in 2024, although it was later confirmed to be Taylor. Even Khan weighed in on the difficulty, saying in June that he had a choice on who would name performs however would go away the choice as much as Pederson.

The Jacksonville offense underneath Taylor completed this season as one of many worst within the NFL, rating twenty fifth in yards per recreation (305.8), twenty first in passing yards per recreation (204.5), and twenty first in third downs (37.3%). Season-ending accidents to Lawrence, receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis, and Engram performed a major position within the offense’s struggles, however the Jaguars ranked within the center third of the NFL in scoring, whole offense, speeding and passing by the primary 9 weeks earlier than Lawrence suffered a shoulder harm.

Backup quarterback Mac Jones began seven video games rather than Lawrence, and in these begins the Jaguars averaged simply 15.0 factors per recreation and he threw for 1,409 yards and 6 touchdowns with eight interceptions. The lone vibrant spot on offense has been receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who led all rookies in receiving yards (1,282) and TDs (10). He additionally had 87 catches, and people marks set single-season franchise rookie information. Thomas was lately named a primary alternate for the Professional Bowl.

“It is unlucky as a result of on the finish of the day all of us had a hand on this season and simply how the best way issues have shaken out,” Kirk mentioned. “I’ve a ton of respect for Doug. He is made me a greater soccer participant, higher man. I feel he is one of many higher coaches to have coached on this league, and it is simply unlucky the best way that issues went.

“However clearly the group has to decide that they really feel is finest.”

Pederson is most identified for his tenure as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He went 42-37-1, made three playoff appearances and received Tremendous Bowl LII in 5 seasons in Philadelphia (2016-20). He was fired after the 2020 season and spent 2021 out of soccer earlier than becoming a member of the Jaguars in 2022.

Baalke joined the Jaguars as director of participant personnel in February 2020 and was promoted to basic supervisor after Khan fired GM Dave Caldwell that November. Baalke’s tenure began with the number of Lawrence with the primary total decide in 2021 and included City Meyer’s calamitous 13-game span as head coach, the hiring of Pederson, an AFC South title, a rally from a 27-0 deficit to win a wild-card playoff recreation, the largest collapse in franchise historical past, and signing top-of-the-line free agent courses in workforce historical past.

However Baalke additionally made a questionable choice by selecting defensive finish Travon Walker over defensive finish Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 1 decide in 2022 and signed some of the disappointing free agent courses in franchise historical past this season. He additionally was important of the workforce’s lack of identification on offense and protection in 2023, however the identical drawback has plagued the workforce this season.

9 of Baalke’s 38 draft picks from 2021-24 have turn out to be full-time starters, together with Lawrence, working again Travis Etienne Jr. (twenty fifth total in 2021), cornerback Tyson Campbell (thirty third total in 2021), Walker, linebacker Devin Lloyd (twenty seventh total in 2022), proper deal with Anton Harrison (twenty seventh total in 2023), and Thomas (twenty third total in 2024). Lawrence is the one one to make a Professional Bowl.