Turning the Jacksonville Jaguars into contenders will be Doug Pederson’s gargantuan mission.
Winning a Super Bowl in Duval County is far-fetched, but doing so will make him a surefire Hall of Famer.
His wisdom and experience from being a former pro quarterback will help Trevor Lawrence’s improvement.
Unfortunately, Pederson’s hiring isn’t the progress Jaguars fans had hoped for their beloved franchise.
Doug Pederson at his first #Jaguars news conference. @SportsRadioWIP #Eagles pic.twitter.com/kEJUdJY8zn
— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) February 5, 2022
He’s more of a last-minute option than a frontrunner because his selection highlights a broken process.
But the messy timeline will be buried in history if Pederson can replicate what he did in Philadelphia.
Infusing The Winner’s Mentality
Say what you want about the ending of his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he brought a Super Bowl to that franchise.
That’s the team’s first world championship in three tries, and they did it with backup quarterback Nick Foles.
Sadly, everything that could go wrong happened during his final season.
Injuries piled up, Carson Wentz struggled, and the front office interfered with his on-field decisions.
The crew shares their reactions to the Jacksonville Jaguars hiring Doug Pederson as their Head Coach. pic.twitter.com/U6PVfbQgmf
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) February 4, 2022
There’s no way that Pederson alone opted to bring Nate Sudfeld in to lose a no-bearing game.
They may not admit it, but the front office wanted to improve their draft standing, hence the loss.
But Pederson already knows the NFL’s inner workings, unlike Urban Meyer.
He’s been through addressing the media regardless of the game’s result and reporting to higher-ups.
Doug Pederson's 1st #Duuuval pic.twitter.com/JhFPPFMhEj
— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) February 5, 2022
Experience is an underrated trait, especially for a challenging job like an NFL head coach.
Pederson will maintain his professional attitude and not call out players or assistant coaches when things go south.
Mutual respect may help bring the Jaguars on the same page, which is crucial in winning football games.
However, even Pederson’s success in Jacksonville may come at a price because of his executives.
The Ugly Jaguars’ Power Struggle
Team owner Shahid Khan is sincere in turning the Jaguars into a winning organization.
The people he hired agree with his vision but would like to take the lion’s share of the credit.
All Byron Leftwich wanted before taking the job was for Khan to get rid of general manager Trent Baalke and bring in Adrian Wilson.
He’s not asking for too much power but wants someone that can foster a positive working relationship.
Doug Pederson was the first head-coaching candidate that the Jaguars interviewed after they moved on from Urban Meyer; he started first and finished first.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 4, 2022
The former Jaguars quarterback and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator knows what Baalke did to Jim Harbaugh during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.
He got envious of Harbaugh’s achievements so he started micromanaging the team.
In the end, Harbaugh had a bitter divorce with the 49ers despite having three winning seasons and a Super Bowl trip.
Baalke hired Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly, but both lasted one season.
Trent Baalke has fired four coaches in his last four seasons as GM, which means he's employed more coaches in four seasons than the Steelers have since the merger.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) February 4, 2022
Imagine what would happen if the Jaguars started to win more games under Pederson.
Khan will be adding an Executive Vice President to oversee both coach and general manager.
That person can foster a messier atmosphere if he can’t address the tension between Pederson and Baalke.
Yes, enemies are aplenty when someone achieves success.
Jimmie Ward on Trent Baalke this year:
"I still think about the day that it was the Giants game and we’re playing Cover-3, and he came up to me and he was like Jimmie, ‘You don’t know how to play Cover-3?’
And I’m like, ‘Man, I’m the Buzz player. I’m doing the right thing!" https://t.co/LWeJYTFr0i pic.twitter.com/TaL3n5LRGK
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) February 1, 2022
But the Jaguars’ new head coach must be aware that the worst foes are the ones within the building.
NEXT: Trevor Lawrence Is Thrilled About His New Head Coach