The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to consider relieving head coach Doug Pederson of his duties later this week, according to various reports. Pederson entered Sunday's contest versus the Detroit Lions on the hot seat. The Jaguars ultimately suffered their worst defeat in franchise history, losing 52-6. They’ll enter the bye week with enough time to mull making a change.
The 2-9 Jaguars are currently scheduled to own the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Having entered the campaign with legitimate postseason aspirations, it's safe to assume Pederson has fallen well short of owner Shad Khan's expectations.
Khan has a penchant for bold decisions. Jacksonville's next head coach will be a well-known candidate, one that agrees Trevor Lawrence is a franchise quarterback. We've identified three potential options.
Bill Belichick, Former New England Patriots HC
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio linked Bill Belichick to the Jaguars during Sunday's Football Night in America segment. Florio went as far as to indicate that Belichick may even prefer to retain Trent Baalke as general manager. The two worked together in the late 1990s with the New York Jets.
Belichick is reportedly anxious to get back into coaching after spending the ongoing 2024 campaign working in various media roles. The greatest coach in the history of the game, Belichick will likely make sizable demands throughout the upcoming hiring cycle, both from roster control and financial standpoints. Khan, one of the more aggressive owners around the league, is certainly braggadocious enough to meet his requests.
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions OC
Belichick notwithstanding, the hottest name of the hiring cycle will once again be Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson has been extremely choosy, declining previous opportunities to become a head coach. Additional interest will be expressed in his services despite his demands, and Khan will likely have him very high on his shortlist of candidates.
Jacksonville's opinion of Johnson was likely strengthened on Sunday. His high-flying offense racked up 52 points via seven consecutive scoring drives, 38 total first downs, and 645 yards of offense against an embarrassed Jaguars defense. The Lions are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and Johnson could finally be convinced to leave if Detroit hoists the Lombardi. Money isn't an issue for Khan. He'd consider writing a blank check to finally lure Johnson away from Detroit.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills OC
Once considered a rising candidate, Joe Brady's professional coaching career hit a bump in the road when his tenure as the Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator did not go according to plan. Brady has since revived his reputation as the OC of the Buffalo Bills, a role he was promoted to after initially being named quarterbacks coach. On Sunday, the Bills ended the Kansas City Chiefs' undefeated season, beating them 30-21.
Offensive-minded coaches remain all the rage in today's NFL. Lawrence signed a $275 million extension in the offseason before putting forth this lackluster campaign. The Jaguars made a long-term commitment to Lawrence and the next coach will be tasked with spearheading next season's comeback efforts. Brady has the resume to appease Khan's wishlist.
