Doug Pederson – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Who could step up in place of Jaguars WR Gabe Davis?

The Jaguars are now without two starting wide receivers for the rest of the 2024 season.

After losing slot receiver Christian Kirk to a collarbone injury in Week 8, Jacksonville placed outside pass-catcher Gabe Davis on its injured reserve during its Week 12 bye with a reported meniscus tear.

Davis, who signed a three-year, $39 million free-agent contract with Jacksonville in March, finished the campaign with 20 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson on Friday identified potential candidates to replace Davis in Jacksonville’s offense moving forward, including Parker Washington, Devin Duvernay and Tim Jones among active roster members and Elijah Cooks, Joshua Cephus and Austin Trammell from the team’s practice squad.

Washington, in particular, could see his usage increase further. He has averaged nearly 35 offensive snaps per game since Week 8, largely due to Kirk’s absence, after logging almost 15 per game over the first seven matchups of the season.

“Yeah, Parker takes a big step forward, obviously. It’s a big role for him,” Pederson said.

“Devin Duvernay increased his role, but we’ve got Elijah Cooks, Joshua Cephus, Austin Trammell’s been elevated [from the practice squad] a couple of times. Any of those guys can step up. Tim Jones can obviously increase his role a little bit more offensively. But really Parker’s the guy that kind of steps into that role.”

Washington has 10 receptions for 118 yards this season, his second with the Jaguars since Jacksonville selected him at No. 185 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He caught 16 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.

Washington has also returned six points for 24 yards on average this year, including a 96-yard touchdown against the New England Patriots in Week 7.

Pederson expressed confidence in Washington’s development with the Jaguars this season and his ability to step into the starting lineup based on his previous experience doing so.

“I’ve seen a lot. His growth, maturity, understanding what we are asking of him, what he can do within the system. He and [Jaguars quarterback] Trevor [Lawrence] being on the same page. Just the growth. The growth that he’s made.” Pederson explained.

“This’ll be a great opportunity, much like the end of last season where he stepped up big in Christian’s absence, he’s got to do it again. That’s part of being a backup. He doesn’t — and I can understand this — think of himself as a backup, which is great. I can understand that, but now he gets an opportunity to be the guy. So, a lot of confidence in him and a lot of trust in him.”

Duvernay, Jones and Trammell have combined for five receptions and 69 yards this season. Cooks caught three passes for 38 yards as a rookie in 2023 but has yet to log a statistic this season. Cephus, an undrafted rookie, has yet to appear in a game with Jacksonville.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Doug Pederson expects QB Trevor Lawrence to play

Jacksonville starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected to return from a non-throwing shoulder injury and play in Week 13 against the Houston Texans, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed on Friday.

Lawrence missed Jacksonville’s last two games after suffering an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder against Philadelphia in Week 9. He returned to practice in a limited fashion this week after not participating in Week 11 and following the Jaguars’ Week 12 bye.

“Yeah, I mean he’s had a good week. He’s obviously done some really good things this week,” Pederson said Friday. “I would say as of right now, yes, he will play. You know, we’ll get through today, Friday, Saturday, but he’s had a good week.”

Pederson suggested he would not drastically alter Jacksonville’s offensive gameplan should Lawrence play against Houston. However, he will be mindful of putting his quarterback in situations where he could take on contact.

“I mean, you don’t want your quarterback to get hit anyway. But yeah, I mean, you’ve just got to be conscious of moving around or too many designed runs or anything like that,” explained Pederson.

“But if he’s cleared to pay, we go play. Can’t worry about getting hit or taking a shot or anything like that.”

Lawrence has completed 168-of-274 (61.3%) passes for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts with the Jaguars this season.

Jacksonville vs. Houston is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, at EverBank Stadium.

Doug Pederson encouraged by Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence’s recovery

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is encouraged by the progress Jacksonville starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence has made in recovery from a left, non-throwing shoulder injury suffered in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lawrence — who missed Jacksonville’s last two games after getting hurt against Philadelphia, even though he finished that contest — returned to practice with the Jaguars on Monday and is slated to continue working on Wednesday.

Pederson did not solidify Lawrence’s status for Jacksonville’s Week 13 home matchup with the Houston Texans one way or another. But the quarterback appears to be trending toward a return to play this Sunday.

“It’s encouraging,” Pederson said Wednesday. “You know, we’ll get through today, obviously. I’m not going to commit, but it was a good start to the week and so we’ll see how he handles much more of a workload today.”

Lawrence reportedly suffered a “significant” AC joint sprain in his left shoulder against the Eagles.

Lawrence has completed 168-of-274 (61.3%) passes for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts with the Jaguars this season.

Pederson hinted Lawrence should receive the majority of first-team quarterback reps during Jacksonville’s Wednesday practice. However, Pederson intends to continue deploying backup quarterback Mac Jones with the group to prepare for a potential third-consecutive start.

Jones completed 31-of-51 passes for 249 yards with three interceptions and a fumble in place of Lawrence against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 and the Detroit Lions in Week 11.

“It probably wouldn’t be 50-50. But still, Mac will get opportunities to take first-team reps, just to keep him fresh and keep him engaged,” Pederson said. “But [I] would love to see Trevor get the bulk of the work when the ones are out there today.”

Jacksonville vs. Houston is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, at EverBank Stadium.

Doug Pederson believes one Jaguar won’t practice Monday

The Jaguars appear to be inching closer to full health across their active roster.

Following Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye, head coach Doug Pederson believes only one player will not practice with the Jaguars on Monday, backup linebacker and special teamer Yasir Abdullah, who missed Week 11 against the Detroit Lions with a hamstring injury.

“Probably Yasir is the only one still that’s out. But everybody else should practice,” Pederson said on Monday.

Abdullah has logged 17 total tackles this season.

In addition to Abdullah, who was a late scratch, three players listed on Jacksonville’s 12-active-player injury report from Week 11 did not play: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder), running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) and rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith (ankle).

Smith was a limited practice participant throughout Week 11; Lawrence and Bigsby were sidelined daily.

Pederson noted Lawrence, who has missed Jacksonville’s last two games, will be monitored in practice throughout the week before the Jaguars determine his status for Week 13.

Jacksonville will practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday ahead of its Sunday, Week 13 home matchup with the Houston Texans, an altered schedule with Thanksgiving on Thursday.

NFLN: Four Jaguars assistants named ‘young coaches to watch’

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson’s name has come up for all the wrong reasons as the NFL’s annual coaching carousel approaches.

However, some Jacksonville staffers have entered the conversation as potential candidates for a promotion.

NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero on Tuesday identified assistant coaches under 45 years old who could be worth monitoring for the 2025 hiring cycle and in the future.

Among the potential candidates for this offseason’s wave was Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

Jaguars OC Press Taylor, 36

A two-time national [junior college] champion as a QB and the brother of Bengals coach Zac Taylor, Press broke into the NFL as a quality control coach in Philadelphia in 2013 and made a notable contribution to the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win: Doug Pederson credited Taylor with the idea for the “Philly Special.”

Reunited in 2022 with Pederson in Jacksonville, Taylor built the offense and quietly called plays in the second halves of games as the Jaguars made a surprise playoff run. Evan Engram, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones have all enjoyed career years playing in Jacksonville’s offense. This has been an ugly season for the Jags, who are 2-9 — including a league-high six one-score losses — and are now playing without injured quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But Taylor remains a young assistant worth watching.

Taylor’s Jaguars offense has struggled this season, ranking No. 23 in the NFL in points per game (18.9) and No. 28 in yards per game (290.8) through 11 weeks, falling from No. 14 in points (22.2) and No. 13 in yards (339.5) per game in 2023.

Pelissero also named Jacksonville special teams coordinator Heath Farwell, wide receivers coach Chad Hall and assistant cornerbacks coach Cory Robinson as potential head coaching candidates for future cycles.

Farwell spent 10 seasons in the NFL, holding down roles as a core special teamer as a reserve linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. He served as an assistant special teams coach for the Seahawks and Carolina Panthers before coordinating those units for the Buffalo Bills (2019-21) and Jaguars (2022-present).

Hall has overseen Jacksonville’s wide receivers the last two seasons after beginning his coaching career with Buffalo, as an offensive assistant from 2017-18 before his promotion to wide receivers coach in 2019. He played wide receiver for the Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs between 2010-13.

Robinson joined Jacksonville’s coaching staff this offseason in an assistant role, tasked with instructing the Jaguars’ cornerbacks. He has coached professionally and collegiately since 2015, including stints with the Tennessee Volunteers, New Orleans Saints and Maryland Terrapins.

Doug Pederson distances from Shad Khan’s preseason Jaguars commentary

Jaguars owner Shad Khan jinxed himself.

Ahead of Jacksonville’s 2024 training camp and preseason, Khan addressed the team and explicitly stated his expectations for it to win football games, implicitly demanding the Jaguars emerge as legitimate contenders in the NFL playoff picture.

The club released Khan’s commentary in a documentary before the campaign kicked off.

“About a month ago we celebrated the city’s partnership with the Jaguars and the approval of funding for the new stadium of the future. So, I met with the reporters and the discussion obviously quickly turned to football and I was quoted, ‘For us, winning now is the expectation,’ ” Khan recalled.

“So really I [have] been looking forward to tonight to set the record straight. I was not misquoted. And let me just repeat, winning now is the expectation. Make no mistake, this is the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever. Best players, best coaches. But most importantly, let’s prove it by winning now.”

What, or who, gave Khan that impression is ambiguous. The 2024 Jaguars, now 2-9 and in early possession of the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, had yet to conduct a padded practice at that point, though they had led all NFL teams in total offseason spending by over $100 million.

But Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson made two things clear Monday: It wasn’t him, and he isn’t sure who gave Khan that idea.

“I don’t know,” Pederson said. “I’m not privy to those conversations that Shad has or who he’s talking to. I don’t know. I can’t answer that.”

Pressed further about whether or not it was he who offered such lofty praise, Pederson swiftly shot down the notion.

“No,” he said while appearing to shake his head.

Pederson, who added that he spoke with Kahn shortly after Jacksonville’s franchise-worst, 52-6 loss to Detroit, understood where the long-time owner of the franchise was coming from, though.

“I mean, going into the season you’ve got high expectations, obviously, for your football team, as you should,” he explained. “Everybody does. Start of camp, start of the regular season, and rightfully so.”

The Jaguars have come nowhere near that mark, however, as they find themselves in the thick of their second four-game losing streak of the year.

Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke exhausted significant resources this offseason, not only expenditures but also spending nine NFL draft picks, a plethora of moves that likely influenced Khan’s encouraged opinion about the Jaguars.

But Baalke was not building upon a performance that should have inspired Khan. After opening the 2023 season 8-3 with firm control of the AFC South, the Jaguars went 1-5 in their final six games and missed the playoffs, leading to an aggressive offseason approach in 2024.

The plan backfired. The Jaguars were the first team to be eliminated from contention for a No. 1 playoff seed this season, when the final whistle blew in Detroit on Sunday, per NFLplayoffscenarios.com.

Expressing appreciation for the timing of Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye, especially after its loss to Detroit, Pederson commended Jaguars players for working through the wear and tear of 11 consecutive games and stated the embarrassing performance did not represent the team’s ability or lack thereof.

He believes the week off should benefit the Jaguars, allowing players to refresh and coaches to recalibrate their approach before their final six games.

“My hat is off to those players because of what they battle through,” Pederson said.

“And so, yeah, you can criticize me all you want, point the finger at me. That’s fine because that’s where it starts. But for the players, they put their best foot forward every single day. Yesterday was not who we are.”

Doug Pederson confirms Jaguars WR Gabe Davis is out for the season

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson confirmed on Monday that starting wide receiver Gabe Davis suffered a season-ending knee injury in Jacksonville’s 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 11.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning that Davis is believed to have suffered a meniscus tear against the Lions on Sunday. The extent of the tear had yet to be determined, although Rapoport indicated such knowledge would be gleaned when Davis undergoes surgery.

“He is going to miss the rest of the season. It is confirmed, this morning,” Pederson said. “Gosh, I hate it for him. He’s battled through some injuries this season but he was in good spirits today when I saw him. But he’ll miss the remainder of the year.”

Davis nursed a knee injury throughout the offseason, his first with Jacksonville after spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, which lingered into the campaign. It paired with Davis hurting his shoulder in the Jaguars’ Week 3 loss to his former team.

Davis, who signed a three-year, $39 million free-agent contract with Jacksonville in March, has caught 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns with the Jaguars. He has logged 163 receptions for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns in his career.

Jacksonville has now lost two starting receivers to a season-ending injury this year. Slot receiver Christian Kirk went down with a broken collarbone in the Jaguars’ Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Everything Doug Pederson said after Jaguars’ historic loss vs. Lions

The Lions delivered the Jaguars their worst loss in franchise history on Sunday, a 52-6 beatdown in which Detroit scored touchdowns over its first seven drives while Jacksonville managed only two field goals in 60 minutes.

Find everything Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game below.

On what Pederson said to the Jaguars in the locker room after the loss:

DOUG PEDERSON: “It’s difficult to find words because everybody is so disappointed, frustrated, angry. It’s the emotion of how much you put into the week and then playing like we did, so it’s just frustrating. Our break, obviously, comes at a right time. Our guys need some time away, they need to refresh, recharge. Coaches, players, but we do need to take, I think, the first part of the week and really reflect and go back and study as coaches to see what’s been good and what hasn’t been good. So, that’s the great opportunity that we have. Six games left and it’ll be exciting because most of those, I think four of the six, are division games and still an opportunity there.”

On if Pederson thinks the Jaguars defense is fatigued:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I feel like it’s been a long season, 11 games, two weeks in London obviously, and travel and whatnot. I did and I do, and I think the guys need a break. But I’m sure if you ask them, they probably feel tired. They feel drained a little bit and they need to refresh and get ready to go.”

On if Pederson thinks this is his last game coaching the Jaguars:

DOUG PEDERSON: “You know what, I can’t control that and you know – listen, I’ve been around this League a long time and if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen obviously, but at the same time, I still have a job to do and that’s to get ready for a good division opponent here in two weeks.”

On if Pederson anticipates the coaching staff changing over the bye week:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I don’t know yet. Something I have to think about and it’s just – it’s hard. It’s hard to put it all on, I think, one person. I think coaches have to look at themselves, we have to look – I have to start there, look at myself and obviously the staff and what are we doing, how are we preparing our players, and then same way with the players, right? They have to look at themselves and be critical of themselves and then make the changes, make the corrections that we need to get better. So, I’ll process a few things and – but I’m glad that we have the bye right now though.”

On how formidable the Lions’ offense was:

DOUG PEDERSON: “It’s a good team, yeah, they’re rolling. They’re playing well. [Lions QB] Jared [Goff]’s playing really good and it’s – you can see how this teams really come together, all three phases are playing well. So, credit what [Lions Head] Coach [Dan] Campbell’s been doing and really getting these guys to buy in and play well.”

On Pederson’s expectations for the rest of the season:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean there’s always that possibility, but I don’t think so, not with this group. I think this group will continue to respond and do the things necessary to prepare for a football game. I don’t – I’ve never sensed that with this group and don’t anticipate that.”

On whether Pederson feels the Lions took the heart out of the Jaguars or if the defense was just fatigued:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I think it’s the latter, honestly. I think the fact that we’ve been on the field way too long defensively the last four weeks and that’s a combination of offense has to do their part which hasn’t been able to do. Stay on the field and score points and we haven’t been able to do that and that’s what we have to look at there too. But I think there is some of that fatigue there of playing a lot of snaps in these last couple of weeks.”

On Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence having a good chance to play coming off of the bye week:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean we’ll see. We’ll see how he does during the week of this bye and see where he’s at. I’m not going to commit right now obviously. We still have a ways away, but we’ll see. We’ll see how he does this week, and we have time, so we’ll figure that out.”

On if the first two weeks of the Jaguars’ season set the tone for the rest of the season:

DOUG PEDERSON: “Yeah, I think I look at that and I have looked at that and I have thought about that and sometimes it’s interesting how a play or two here or there can kind of change the course of a season. That’s so early in the season though that you still have time to fix it. So, it’s hard to maybe say it was just that, but some of the mistakes still being made just have to be fixed, have to be corrected. But again, it’s not a lack of effort or physicality or nothing like that. We just need – this team needs a break.”

On what the Lions defense did to keep the Jaguars’ offense out of the end zone:

DOUG PEDERSON: “Nothing, they just played their scheme. They just played their defense, it’s a good defense. They played fast today, and they did a nice job, and we got in that high red area, they did a nice job of just holding us to three there a couple of times. But they just played their deal.”

Lions lambaste spiraling Jaguars, 52-6

If the Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke era in Jacksonville ended on Sunday, it did so in history-making fashion.

The Lions (9-1) handed the Jaguars (2-9) their biggest loss in the franchise’s 30-year annals, with quarterback Jared Goff passing for four touchdowns and running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs rushing for three scores in Detroit’s 52-6 triumph.

Jacksonville’s biggest loss before this weekend came in the club’s debut season, a 44-0 defeat in Detroit 30 years ago.

The media arm of the National Football League, NFL Network reported Saturday that the Jaguars could make a “dramatic move” by dismissing Pederson, their head coach, and Baalke, their general manager, following a loss to the Lions, potentially during Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye.

If Jaguars owner Shad Khan intends to base such a decision on this game, it would be difficult for anyone to come up with a counterargument.

Jacksonville’s offense was again inept without franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who missed his second consecutive game with a left shoulder injury.

Backup quarterback Mac Jones completed 17-of-29 passes for 138 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. Jacksonville’s rushing game garnered a mere 2.4 yards per carry over 17 tries.

The Jaguars finished drives in Lions’ territory only three-of-nine times, taking 59 and 35-yard field goals from rookie kicker Cam Little and blowing a late third-quarter series with Jones intercepted by Detroit safety Kerby Joseph.

Detroit, meanwhile, posted touchdowns on seven straight possessions, beginning on their 70-yard opening drive with a two-yard score by Montgomery. Five of the Lions’ scoring series went for at least 80 yards.

The Lions finished with a single-game franchise-best 645 yards offensively. They went 6-of-10 on third down and three-of-three on fourth down.

The Jaguars will return to action in Jacksonville in Week 13, set to host the Houston Texans (6-4) on Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. ET. Time will tell if Pederson and Baalke will be with them.

Report: Jaguars could make ‘dramatic move’ after a loss to Lions

A “dramatic move” by the Jaguars could be in store if Jacksonville loses to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport reported that the Jaguars could fire head coach Doug Pederson, general manager Trent Baalke, or both if Jacksonville loses to Detroit in Week 11, potentially during the team’s Week 12 bye.

Jacksonville would enter its week off with a 2-9 record on the season, riding its second four-game losing skid of the year.

“The Jaguars, mired in a miserable rut after losing four of their last five games, might be looking at another regime change for 2025, and sources say a dramatic move could come as soon as this week, pending the results of Sunday’s game against the Lions,” Rapoport wrote.

” … Inside the building, several sources say change, including the organization potentially moving on from Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, would not be a surprise. Based on several conversations, while Jaguars staffers are still working and grinding, there is a pall permeating the situation. A doom.”

Such a decision by Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who deemed the 2024 Jaguars “the best team assembled” in franchise history during the preseason, would not necessarily be made on a whim. Jacksonville has gone 3-13 since Week 13 last year; it missed the playoffs in 2023 after opening the campaign 8-3.

Jacksonville vs. Detroit will kick off at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

The Jaguars will be without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence — the centerpiece of Khan’s optimism for Jacksonville, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with the club in June — against the Lions, marking his second inactive game in a row as he nurses a left shoulder injury.

Mac Jones, who completed 14-of-22 passes for 111 yards and committed three turnovers in his first start with Jacksonville, last week against Minnesota, will fill in for Lawrence against Detroit.