Shortly after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2023 disappointing season ended with a skid that cost them a spot in the postseason, head coach Doug Pederson decided to fire defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell.
It seemed that offensive coordinator Press Taylor survived the chopping block and would return in 2024. Pederson even went so far as to say that Taylor “did a nice job” in his first season as the team’s full-time play-caller.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, it appears not everyone in the Jaguars’ organization agrees that Taylor did well.
“There was at least some buzz the past few weeks of the season that the Jacksonville Jaguars’ front office, led by [Trent] Baalke, was looking hard at where the offense is under Taylor,” Breer wrote. “And if you remember, Pederson’s loyalty to his coaches is what, in the end, wound up leading to his firing with the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Pederson has been steadfast in his support of Taylor dating back, as Breer wrote, to their time together coaching the Eagles. It would be a surprise if he reversed course and parted with Taylor now because of pressure from Baalke and/or other Jaguars executives.
If the situation devolved into a power struggle between Baalke and Pederson, it’s hard to imagine the general manager would be safe. While the franchise thrived in 2022 off the back of a free agency spending spree, not enough of the team’s draft picks in three years under Baalke have become impact players.
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