The Jacksonville Jaguars face the Indianapolis Colts in their 2024 regular season finale this Sunday but, win or lose, one thing is certain: it has been a rough season. So much so, in fact, that head coach Doug Pederson admits this might be his last in the NFL.
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In a new EPSN report, Pederson describes the 2024 Jaguars season as the "hardest" he's ever had and is aware that his future with the team is far from certain.
"[My family has] been around this league almost 30 years, player and coach, and you've seen a lot of things," Pederson said. "If this is the last one, then I can look back and go, 'Hey, it was a great run. You had a chance to do a lot of great things. You had a chance to win a Super Bowl. You've coached some great players. You played in this league for a long time.'"
Pederson led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history in 2017, defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII. However, he was fired by the Eagles in 2021 and came aboard the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.
Initially, things seemed to go well. Pederson led the team to a division title for the first time since 2017. However, in 2023, things started to trend down, with the Jaguars finishing the season with a 9–8 record, missing the playoffs and falling short of the AFC South title, ending up second behind the Houston Texans.
The Jaguars (4-12) head into their season finale at Indianapolis after a tumultuous season marked by nine one-score losses, tying an NFL record.
They've struggled throughout, failing to beat a team with a winning record, averaging fewer than 17 points in eight games, and ranking last in pass defense and 31st in total defense.
Injuries to key offensive players, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, have further derailed their season.
After an 8-3 start that had them in playoff contention, the Jaguars have since lost 17 of their last 22 games, effectively ending their AFC South hopes five weeks ago.
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They've won two of their last four games, both against the 3-13 Tennessee Titans (20-13 at home, 10-6 on the road), while falling to the New York Jets (32-25) and Las Vegas Raiders (19-14).
As such, it is probably no surprise that Pederson should be uncertain of whether he has another season in him.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan has given no hints as to the futures of Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke. Ahead of training camp, Khan expressed confidence in the roster, calling it the best the Jaguars had ever put together, with playoff expectations set for the season. Obviously, that has not happened.
"But this [season] was tough," Pederson said. "It was tough just to maintain the focus and the drive and each week be competitive, and still give ourselves opportunities to win games."
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