Report: Jacksonville Jaguars to hire Doug Pederson to be their next HC

After firing Urban Meyer on Dec. 16 and casting a wide net for a new coach, the Jacksonville Jaguars have found a new leader to lead their franchise. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that man will be former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. 

Former Eagles’ HC Doug Pederson is being hired as the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, source tells ESPN.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 4, 2022

Pederson joins the Jags after spending last season away from the league. Prior to his time away from the NFL, though, Pederson’s most recent run with the Eagles lasted from 2016 through the 2020 season.

While serving as the Eagles’ head coach, Pederson garnered a record of 42-37 and was 4-2 in the postseason, including a Super Bowl LII victory. He only had one season as a head coach where the Eagles were under .500, which was his last (2020), and it resulted in him getting fired after a 4-11 season.

Peterson brings 12 years of NFL coaching experience (also has seven as a player) with him and started his professional coaching career under Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid and the Eagles back in 2009 as a quality controls coach. In 2011, he became Reid’s quarterbacks coach in Philly and held the title until 2012. 

Pederson then followed Reid to Kansas City when he was first named their head coach and was his offensive coordinator from 2013-15. He was impressive enough in the process to find himself back in Philly in 2016, but this time as their head coach.

Byron Leftwich of the Tampa Bay Bucs was the fan-favorite throughout this process, but Pederson was certainly in the top-3 and not that far way from the former first-round pick. As a former quarterbacks coach and a bright offensive mind that once had Carson Wentz and Nick Foles looking like Pro Bowlers, it’s certainly a win for Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who struggled as a rookie but showed what he could be with the right coach.