Jaguars OC Press Taylor will serve as the team’s primary offensive play-caller in 2023, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Taylor, who joined the team in 2022 as part of head coach Doug Pederson‘s first Jacksonville staff, called plays in the second halves of games last year and will now get the chance to run the show on a full-time basis.
“I totally trust Press,” Pederson said. “We think alike. We’ve been together for a long time, and he’s around [quarterback] Trevor [Lawrence] all the time and knows what Trevor likes.”
Taylor worked under Pederson on the latter’s Eagles staffs from 2016-20, operating as a quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Pederson reportedly wanted to promote Taylor to offensive coordinator in Philadelphia following the 2020 season, and his disagreements with the organization in that regard led to a mutual parting of the ways. Pederson spent the 2021 season away from the NFL while Taylor worked as a senior offensive assistant with the Colts. The two men reunited in Duval last year, with Taylor landing the OC post.
After a disappointing rookie season in 2021 under then-HC Urban Meyer, Lawrence thrived in the Pederson-Taylor offense in 2022, throwing 25 TDs against just eight inteceptions and leading the Jags to a stirring victory in the wildcard round of the playoffs. The Jags finished 10th in the league in both total offense and points per game, and there is reason to believe that they will perform even better this season.
While it would be fair to question whether this move is an attempt to fix a problem that doesn’t exist — as former Jaguars beat writer and current Bills reporter Ryan O’Halloran suggested — Pederson will obviously continue to have a significant role in the offensive design and gameday preparation. Plus, as Pederson himself noted, his own career trajectory unfolded in a similar fashion.
“It’s kind of like coach [Andy] Reid did with me in 2015 in Kansas City,” Pederson said. “Coach Reid would call the first half and he would let me call the second half with a very watchful eye.”
“Press is a smart coach who has been in the league a long time. He’s going to be a head coach one day,” Pederson added. “What better time than right now with the team we have to get that experience?”
The Jaguars’ new arrangement will get its first test against the division-rival Colts in the regular season opener today.
After today they may want to rethink this.Play calling was very suspect today.