The Jacksonville Jaguars organization knew they needed to hire an offensive-minded coach who understood quarterbacks this offseason. They did that by hiring Doug Pederson, a former Super Bowl-winning coach with a solid amount of experience in the NFL.
Pederson’s culture-building skills have already proven to be better than those of the previous head coach Urban Meyer, who was fired in December partly due to his struggles with treating those around him right. Most importantly, Pederson has gelled well with the team’s most important piece, Trevor Lawrence, who the team selected first overall last season.
When speaking with CBS Sports this week, Lawrence said that Pederson’s personality is identical to his, which has helped both get on the same page early in their relationship.
“We’re building toward something special,” Lawrence said. “It’s been great, just the way (Doug) interacts with the team, the way he leads. I think personality-wise, we’re similar. We get along well. Our demeanors are very similar. … Obviously he played quarterback, he’s won a Super Bowl as a player and as a coach, so he knows how to get there. He knows how to do it. I think that’s really important to have in a leader like that. And just the energy he’s brought to the building has been awesome, and really building that trust of the team, he’s done a great job.”
A lot was made of Urban Meyer’s inexperience in the NFL as he had never coached on the professional level. Those concerns ended up being justified, as he didn’t last a full season with the Jags after incidents with his players and assistant coaches.
Pederson, on the other hand, has 12 years of NFL coaching experience and 10 as an NFL quarterback, and it’s already starting to show when looking at how things were done in organized team activities. With training camp coming up next month, the bond between Pederson, his players, and the staff should only take another step as the Jags will look to surpass the three-win total they accumulated last season.
As for Lawrence, his rookie season was rough, and the dysfunction around him played a part in it. However, the second-year quarterback told CBS Sports that he learned valuable lessons in the process, like the ability to remain composed throughout adversity.
“I think (last year) really taught me how to stay the same every day, to be consistent,” Lawrence added. “Just my attitude, my work ethic, no matter how things are going. I know what it’s like to struggle as a rookie. … Now in my second year, I have a good feel for the schedule (and) can really feel like I’m prepared.”
With an experienced coach like Pederson now running the show, Lawrence will be able to focus on football instead of everything else when he’s at the Jags’ facility. Pederson’s 12 years of NFL coaching experience (and his playing experience) will also prove to be valuable for the young quarterback. That said, if the two continue to gel as they have when training camp starts, the Jags could at least register seven wins in 2022, which would be huge in the eyes of the fanbase.