Jacksonville’s head coach position is open for grabs and the prospect of molding a young quarterback with star potential should be alluring for a number of candidates looking to lead the Jaguars. According to a tweet from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, two of the candidates they wish to interview for the position are former NFL head coaches Doug Pederson and Jim Caldwell.
Pederson has been an offensive mind in the NFL since 2009 spending 6 years as an assistant coach under Andy Reid. He started as an offensive quality control coach for the Eagles until taking over the quarterbacks room when James Urban was promoted to Philadelphia’s assistant offensive coordinator. Pederson followed Reid to Kansas City as the offensive coordinator in 2013 with Reid retaining the role of play-caller for the offense. After a 1-5 start to the 2015 season, Reid gave Pederson play-calling responsibility and the Chiefs finished the season on a 10-game win streak.
This made Pederson a top candidate for NFL head coaching jobs that offseason and he was hired to replace Chip Kelly back where his NFL career first started in Philadelphia. The first-year head coach was matched up with the second-overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, quarterback Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State. The team’s record didn’t improve in 2016 despite a three-game win streak to start the Pederson-Wentz marriage. The second year of Pederson’s tenure, though, went slightly better with the Eagles winning Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots. Pederson had Wentz playing at an MVP level through 14 weeks when Wentz suffered a torn ACL, ending the best season of his then-young NFL career early. Backup quarterback Nick Foles helped the team to clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs and led the team to wins over the Falcons and Vikings en route to their Super Bowl appearance and victory. The next year saw Wentz struggle to stay healthy and Foles continue to fill in as the Eagles went 9-7 and won a playoff game as a wild card team. A healthy Wentz helped Pederson lead the team to a division-winning 9-7 the next year, but they lost their first and only playoff game with Wentz at the helm. Pederson’s last season in Philadelphia saw the Eagles go 4-11-1 after some injuries and poor play from Wentz. Pederson was laid off immediately after the regular season with a 42-37-1 regular season record and a 4-2 playoff record despite delivering the franchise’s first Super Bowl win and first NFL Championship since before the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
Jim Caldwell entered the NFL in 2001 as the quarterbacks coach for the Buccaneers under then-head coach Tony Dungy. Caldwell followed Dungy to Indianapolis and was announced as Dungy’s successor-in-waiting following the 2007 season. Exactly a year later, Caldwell was introduced as the Colts’ head coach following Dungy’s retirement. Caldwell took over a Peyton Manning-led Colts team and rolled to a 14-0 record, tying former 49ers’ coach George Seifert for most consecutive wins to start a coaching career. He controversially sat his starting players in two losses to end the season, with home-field advantage in the playoffs already secured. Caldwell’s Colts won his first two playoff games over the Ravens and Jets before losing to the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. The two playoff wins would end up being the only playoff wins of Caldwell’s head coaching career to date, but he was only the fifth head coach to reach the Super Bowl in their rookie season and is the latest rookie head coach to have done so. Caldwell’s next season saw the Colts finish 10-6, winning the AFC South, but losing their Wild Card game to the Jets. The Wild Card loss would be Manning’s last game in a Colts uniform as neck surgeries would hold him out of the entire 2011-12 NFL season. Caldwell’s Manning-less Colts would go 2-14 with quarterbacks Curtis Painter, Dan Orlovsky, and Kerry Collins all starting games. Caldwell was fired immediately following the season.
Caldwell was picked up by the Ravens as a quarterbacks coach but, when the Ravens fired Cam Cameron midseason, Caldwell was named the offensive coordinator for the playoff-bound Ravens and helped lead Joe Flacco to a flawless postseason in which Flacco tied Joe Montana for most touchdowns without an interception in a single postseason. Caldwell saw his quarterback win Super Bowl XLVII MVP after beating the 49ers with a “lights out” performance.
Following a successful tenure in Baltimore, Caldwell was hired to his second head coaching gig in 2014, this time for the Lions. Caldwell led Detroit to an 11-5 record in his first season and a wild card playoff berth, losing to the Cowboys. The Lions would finish with a 9-7 record twice in the next three seasons losing one more playoff game in 2016. Despite finishing 2017 with a winning record, and having a career record with the Lions of 36-28, Caldwell was let go and succeeded by Matt Patricia. Caldwell was hired by the Dolphins to join Brian Flores’s staff as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, but he took a leave of absence for health reasons and wasn’t retained by Miami following the 2019 season.
Either head coach would be an intriguing addition due to their success in building offensive systems. Caldwell has shown an aptitude for winning football games, but has often been criticized for being unable to take that next step in the postseason, highlighted by his 2-4 career record in the playoffs. Pederson showed his ability to help young quarterbacks get up to speed in the NFL with Wentz and then-rookie Jalen Hurts, but he drew criticism for controversially pulling Hurts out in the final game of the season in what some accused was an attempt to better the Eagles’ draft position. The Jaguars are sure to do their due diligence in their coaching search, but they clearly have some ideas in mind for what they want out of their new head coach.
I dunno. You look at the success of McVay, Lefleur, Kingsbury, et al, I would bet the Jags opt for a younger hire. Both of these guys are established, of course, but it seems the league is going with youthful types who are more “in tune” with modern players
none of them has a Super Bowl yet in spite of a handful of seasons of stacked rosters between them. the closest thing to a “young” HC to win it all recently was one of the two men they are interviewing.
Both are solid head coaches on the right team.
But I can’t see Pederson getting it.
Personally I like the Bryan Leftwich connection but he hasn’t shown much in terms of developing a young QB.
Brain Daboll would be my choice if I’m Khan. He’s done great working with Allen, he also worked under Saban and Bill so he brings that pedigree.
Brain Daboll would be a good choice for the development of Trevor Lawrence.
Jaguars need to give their young QB help
In free agency bring in
David Njoku 3 years 15 mill, 5 mill
Mike Gesicki 4 years and 32 mill, 8 mill
as their TE 1 and 2
Bring in
Mike Williams 4 year 36 mill, 9 mi
Brian Pringle 2 year 8 mill, 4 mill
Isiah Mackenzie 3 year 12 mill, 4 mill
to go with Laviska Shenault.
Use draft picks to beef up the defense and oline.
They lose out and they’ll have the #1 pick. Should trade down….but unfortunately this is a year where there aren’t any QBs worth taking #1 (or even in the first round but some teams will).
Still if you find the right package of picks/players, they should take it. Need as many picks as possible to rebuild around TL.
Can’t see Gesiciki coming but I’d give David that contract, and instead of all those receivers I’d go for the reliable Micheal Gallup. Then on the cheap steal Will Hernandez and Greg Ward.
Draft heavy on defence but hopefully under Daboll working with Lawrence they do better.
They should have a good running game but need the o line to preform and to get the best of Lawrence he needs pass catchers.
This will give them a platform to work of and get better
Caldwell would make slightly more sense than Pederson, but neither one really gets you excited for anything beyond maybe a WC shot.
True, but you can’t just flip the switch immediately to a championship level. There needs to be a foundation built, and a culture developed where success is not just possible but expected. The problem with the Jags (well, the biggest single issue currently), is that there is no standard. I mean, where would it come from? There is no direction for the team, no identity, no standard for behavior or working habits beyond personal pride.
In that regard, I’d lean much more towards Caldwell than Pederson. Caldwell does not have any reputation at all for poor working relationships with either subordinates or superiors. He seems patient and has Super Bowl experience as both a winner and as a loser. He’s seen quite a lot and worked with some pretty good quarterbacks in Stafford, Manning, and even Flacco (who was flawless that postseason and very good that year). He has the patience, reputation, and pedigree to help improve the team. You have to start somewhere, and I think Caldwell has the tools to set a foundation. The Jags need that before they need excitement.
Hopefully Seattle looks at new hires this off-season as well.
Honestly they should have done so a few years ago. That team has shifted so far to being Wilson’s team that Carroll seems expendable.
And a new QB
Pederson’s NFL career didn’t start in Philly. It started in Green Bay. He backed up Favre for a number of years and then left with Andy Reid when Andy got the Eagles head coaching job.
As much as I think Caldwell deserves a second chance, Pederson did is just as worthy of a second chance and has more recent experience.
If I’m the Jags my 1, 2 and 3 call is to Jon Gruden. Open up the checkbook and give him a blank check.
If that doesn’t work hire Steve Marriucci. He’s dope.
If that doesn’t work hire George Siefert. He has a history of developing QB’s
Dark horse candidates: Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Green, Tim Tebow, Dabo Sweeney.
You obviously do stand-up comedy on the side….
What?
Dennis Green passed away in 2016.
Clearly you didn’t hear that they already called Curley Lambeau…
Not familiar with that name so left him off
My top candidates list.
The article says this: “The second year of Pederson’s tenure, though, went slightly better with the Eagles winning Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots.”
I hope this was a tongue-in-cheek comment. A Super Bowl win is a lot more than “slightly better!”
Nicely written article.
PFR has apparently been enhancing their writing staff.
Allen has produced some well-composed pieces thus far
Byron Leftwich
BYRON
Mark Brunell also has a past connection to the team.
Doug totally deserves another shot. turned around the near dumpster fire that Chip started and managed darn well when his QB wasnt post-injury Wentz. Just dont let him hire Mike Groh.
Caldwell over Pederson hands down. Pederson should never be given another chance to coach in the NFL after his final game fiasco. As black a mark on the NFL as any in their history.
Joe! If you spent more time coaching and less on PFR then maybe you wouldnt have needed WSH to lose that final game last year.
A bunch of 6-10 teams pouting about Pederson throwing away a meaningless game pretty much sums up 2020.
All these guys are turrible
Give Jon Gruden a job again!
Free Jon Gruden
The Jags need to fire their GM first.
Doug Pederson, was not overly good without Frank Reich.
None of the above.
I think Byron Leftwich should be given a shot. Might get some of the old fans back.
At this point, if the Jags want to dangle a 7th rounder out there, they can have Mike Tomlin. But he is “as is” and no returns accepted.