The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2024 season with high hopes after an offseason spending spree and head coach Doug Pederson’s track record of quick turnarounds. But sitting at just 4-12 heading into Week 18, this campaign has been nothing short of a massive disappointment for a franchise desperate to emerge from a long rebuilding process.
Yet despite arguably the most frustrating season in team history, Pederson says his squad hasn’t thrown in the towel. The second-year Jaguars coach is hoping their continued fight, along with roster continuity, will work in his favor as owner Shad Khan weighs a decision on his future.
Pederson: “That’s Not a Team That’s Quitting”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Pederson highlighted the importance of consistency and togetherness in steering the Jaguars back in the right direction. Most notably, he pushed back on any notion that he’s lost the locker room or that players have quit on him.
“I think it’d be different, too, if you saw people throw in the towel a month ago, right? … I just don’t feel that here. It was evident yesterday by the way the guys fought and battled right to the end, the joy in the locker room …
That’s not a team that’s quitting, right? That’s not a team that’s just throwing in a white towel or waving a white flag. It’s a team that’s trying to work its way out of a hole that they’ve dug.”
Doug Pederson, Jaguars Head Coach
Multiple Jaguars echoed that sentiment after their gritty 20-13 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17, their first victory in over a month. Safety Andrew Wingard called the team “grinders” while rookie defensive tackle Travon Walker said they’re “staying together as a collective unit, and continuously going, no matter the circumstances.”
Khan’s Crucial Decision
Still, the bottom line is the Jaguars have managed just five wins in their last 22 games dating back to 2023. Khan had much higher expectations coming into this season, so Pederson knows his job is very much in jeopardy.
Jacksonville’s young roster clearly still has plenty of holes to fill before becoming a consistent contender in the AFC South. But Pederson believes keeping this group together for another offseason to develop chemistry and cohesion is vital.
“The consistency, the continuity, you’re in it together. You know exactly how people think, how people operate, the communication level — all of that is positive in a direction that you’re trying to go.”
Doug Pederson
With the Jaguars’ season mercifully coming to an end this Sunday against the Colts, Pederson will soon learn if he’s going to get the chance to see his vision through. Khan gave him a strong vote of confidence after hiring the former Eagles boss in 2022, but this disastrous 2024 campaign has clearly tested the owner’s patience.
For Pederson’s sake, he better hope a roster loaded with high draft picks and expensive free agents shows more tangible progress next season. Because in today’s win-now NFL, even well-respected coaches don’t survive too many last-place finishes.
