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Jaguars' Doug Pederson Reportedly 'Projecting Confidence' in Job Security amid Rumors

Doric SamJanuary 2, 2025

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Doug Pederson against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Field on December 29, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Mike Carlson/Getty Images

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson's job doesn't appear to be safe as the team enters the final week of the 2024 season with a 4-12 record.

However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that "some people there believe [Pederson] is projecting confidence" amid the rumors surrounding his job security.

Fowler added that Jaguars owner Shad Khan "hasn't tipped his hand and wasn't in the locker room postgame Sunday, which is not the norm after a win." Jacksonville earned a 20-13 win over the Tennessee Titans to end a two-game skid.

Pederson told reporters on Monday that he believes he hasn't lost the locker room, and the win showed that the players haven't quit on the season. He stressed the importance of continuity, possibly signaling that he feels he deserves to return in 2025.

"I think the consistency, the continuity, you're in it together, you know exactly how people think, how people operate, the communication level, all of that, is positive in a direction that you're trying to go," Pederson said. "I think it'd be different, too, if you saw people throw in the towel a month ago, right? Or say, you always hear coaches losing a locker room, right then, I think that's a different situation. I think that's a different story. I think that's a different set of circumstances. I just don't feel that here. I don't. I don't think that's the case here. It was evident yesterday by the way the guys fought and battled right to the end, the joy in the locker room at the end, the camaraderie, the high fives, the hugs."

Still, it's hard to overlook the fact that this has been one of the most disappointing seasons in recent years for the Jaguars. Perhaps the team could use a change as it tries to return to playoff contention in 2025 and beyond.

Pederson will have his last chance to prove that he deserves to remain in Jacksonville when the team closes out the 2024 season on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.