Jaguars urged to move on from Doug Pederson, who surprisingly survived blowout loss to Lions

The Monday following the most lopsided loss in Jacksonville Jaguars franchise history has come and gone, and head coach Doug Pederson surprisingly still has his job.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that Pederson could be fired following a loss in Detroit. With Jacksonville (2-9) limping into their bye week, ripping the Band Aid off on Monday morning would afford the team two weeks to get things sorted under an interim coach like Mike McCoy.

What transpired Sunday in Detroit — a  52-6  drubbing that was never close after the Jaguars managed a field goal on their opening drive — stoked what most expected to be Pederson’s pending firing, with Mike Florio naming Bill Belichick as the team’s potential target during the Football Night in America pregame show.

Pederson survived the morning after, however, leading Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report to urge owner Shad Khan to move on, already.

Here was Ballentine’s take: “The NFL rumor mill set the stage for the Jaguars to make this decision ahead of the game with the Lions. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that it "would not be a surprise" inside the organization if the Jaguars decided to move on from Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, adding that a "dramatic move could come as soon as this week." It was evident that the Jaguars had no fight in a blowout loss to the Lions. Forcing players to finish out the season under a coach they have clearly given up on could have lasting ramifications for the franchise.”

It’s possible that Khan is taking his time during the bye week to make a final decision on Pederson’s future, but either way, with another potential No. 1 overall pick looming in 2025, it feels like change is coming. Pederson’s Jaguars have won just three of their last 17 games dating back to Nov. 26 of 2023. Why wait until Janurary to make a decision everyone sees coming a mile away?

Pederson spoke with the media on Monday and for the first time adamantly took blame for Jacksonville’s lost season. He’s spoken about a need for culture change and a reset at various points this year.

A franchise typically doesn’t accomplish those things without changing the entire regime.