“Right now, we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball,” Khan told reporters on Monday. “(In) football, to win, deception is a big part of it. Unpredictability.”
Pederson joined the Jaguars in 2022, and he only led Jacksonville to the playoffs once in his first season at 9–8, and also his record in 2023 but no playoff appearance. Jacksonville flatlined this season amid a bunch of injuries, which included quarterback Trevor Lawrence and key skill players such as wide receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis.
Pederson previously coached the Eagles from 2016 to 2020, which included a Super Bowl win. He wasn’t able to duplicate the same success with a Jaguars franchise that has only one 10-win season since 2007 and an 8–8 all-time record in the playoffs.
“Doug is an accomplished football man who will undoubtedly enjoy another chapter in his impressive NFL career, and I will be rooting for Doug and his wife Jeannie when that occasion arrives,” Khan said.
“As much as Doug and I both wish his experience here in Jacksonville would have ended better, I have an obligation first and foremost to serve the best interests of our team and especially our fans, who faithfully support our team and are overdue to be rewarded,” Khan added. “In that spirit, the time to summon new leadership is now.”
With Baalke staying on, the Jaguars won’t do a full overhaul. In addition, Khan believes the turnaround could come as early as next season.
“What is a complete overhaul of the franchise?” Khan said. “Health and wellness of the players, medical statistics, analysis, scouting, and a number of other elements along with contract administration, all of those areas we have really changed (and) improved certainly over the last four or five years.”
“You’ve got 85 people working on that side [of the organization] and you say, ‘I’m going to get rid of them and find 85 new people that are going to be better than that?’ That’s like shooting yourself in the foot,” he added.
