ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
Doug Pederson was named the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, Feb. 3.
We’ve hired Doug Pederson as head coach.#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/CE58SjM3o1
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) February 4, 2022
He was the first candidate the team interviewed, and ultimately ended up also being the last.
Now, after taking a year off from football, the former Super Bowl winning coach will have a chance to get back to his old winning ways.
Past
How did Doug Pederson and the Jaguars end up together?
It all started in 2018. It was the conference championship round of the playoffs. The Jaguars, lead by Doug Marrone, were shockingly in the AFC Championship. The Eagles, lead by Pederson and without MVP candidate Carson Wentz, were in the NFC Championship. Ultimately, the Jaguars blew a 4th quarter lead and lost to the Patriots. The Eagles routed the Vikings and emerged victorious.
The Eagles then went on to win Super Bowl 52. The Jaguars went back to there old losing ways. A couple years later, both Pederson and Marrone fell out of favor with their former teams.
Following the AFC Championship game, Marrone posted three straight losing seasons before being fired.
Differently, following his Super Bowl Victory, Pederson lead the Eagles to back-to-back playoff appearances. Even so, in 2020, the Eagles went 4-11-1 and amidst a QB controversy between Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts, fired Doug Pederson.
Future
In Jacksonville, Pederson will have an opportunity to replicate his success from Philadelphia. In Philly, Pederson built the team around a young and promising quarterback on a rookie contract. For the Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence provides just that.
Additionally, Pederson will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft and a ton of cap space at his disposal.
@ESPNStatsInfo: Doug Pederson comes to a Jaguars team that has the number 1 overall pick and currently has the most cap space for 2022 with $87.2M (roster management) https://t.co/MZqtGw3pTu
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) February 4, 2022
Regarding personnel decisions, Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke will work together.
In the draft, the team will likely either select an offensive tackle to protect Lawrence, or an elite edge rusher to get after the opposing teams quarterback.
Over the last 14 seasons, the Jaguars have had 1 winning season. That said, Pederson will have patience fr0m the organization. Even so, they will expect positive results.
Ultimately, Jaguars fans and faithful should be very happy with the hire.
What’s Next
Free agency opens on March. 16. The 2022 NFL Draft begins on Apr. 28, 2022. The 2022 NFL season starts on Sept. 9.
