On Saturday, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson expressed his confidence in being able to put a staff together with no issues despite getting a later start than others, and it appears things are now coming together.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Jags are working towards hiring Tampa Bay Bucs inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell as their defensive coordinator. The move will put Pederson with a former teammate of his, as well as an assistant he’s coached alongside with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The #Jaguars are working on a deal to hire #Buccaneers ILBs coach Mike Caldwell as their new defensive coordinator, sources say. A former teammate and fellow assistant coach with Doug Pederson with the #Eagles, Caldwell is a DC after 14 years as a defensive assistant.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 8, 2022
Caldwell’s coaching career started in 2008 as a defensive quality controls coach under Andy Reid and the Eagles. The following year, Pederson joined the staff and received the same role on the offensive side.
After his time as a quality controls coach, Caldwell became an assistant linebackers coach in 2010. He held that role a year before removing the assistant tag and remained the Eagles’ linebackers coach until 2012.
When Reid was fired by the Eagles concluding the 2012 season, Caldwell joined the Arizona Cardinals staff where he coached under Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles. That led to Caldwell following Bowles to New York when he landed a head coaching job with the Jets and Caldwell held a role as the team’s assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach.
When the Jets fired Bowles after the 2018 season, Caldwell and Bowles reunited with Arians, but this time it was with the Tampa Bay Bucs where they have remained to this point.
In terms of their time on the same team as players, Caldwell and Pederson were on the Eagles’ 1999 roster together under Reid, which was his first season as an NFL head coach.
Caldwell will join the Jags after aiding Bowles and his group to having one of the most respected defenses in football. This past season the Bucs were third against the rush, allowing just 92.5 rushing yards a game.