As Khan’s statement notes, Baalke will remain in place for 2025. The former 49ers GM has been at the helm of the Jaguars since 2021, predating Pederson’s arrival. The collective struggles the pair has endured over the past two years led many to believe sweeping changes could be made this offseason.
Leading up to “Black Monday,” however, it remained unclear which way Khan was leaning. While many around the league predicted Baalke would be dismissed, the news of Pederson’s firing comes as no surprise.
Jacksonville went 9-8 in Pederson’s first year with the team, and a run to the divisional round of the playoffs offered optimism he and quarterback Trevor Lawrence would be able to string together a sustained run of success.
Things took a downward turn last year, though, with a second-half collapse leaving the team out of the playoffs. Pederson, thus, increasingly found himself on the hot seat as the 2024 campaign progressed.
Khan made it clear he had high expectations for the Jaguars based on their roster, but the team started 0-4. A playoff berth was, therefore, out of reach early, and Pederson found himself among the coaches in danger of being fired midway through the campaign.
Khan remained patient on that front, as he generally has during his ownership tenure. Still, signs continued to point to dismissal after the campaign, the most recent being assistants on Pederson’s staff admitting they expected major changes to be made.
With a 4-13 season in the books (leaving Pederson with an overall mark of 22-29 in Duval County), that has now proved to be the case. The Jaguars join the Jets, Saints, Bears and Patriots as teams in need of a new coach, and Khan — who has not been in contact with potential candidates yet — will begin his latest search. Interestingly, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes the Jags’ next coach will report directly to Khan, not Baalke.
Reports of a rift between Baalke and Pederson emerged in September, so a coaching change bringing with it a new power structure in the organization is a notable development. With Lawrence on the books long term, finding a coach capable of maximizing his potential will be an obvious priority (although that was, of course, also the case when Pederson was hired). While Baalke is safe for now, he will no doubt remain the subject of scrutiny moving forward.
Pederson, 56, spent five seasons at the helm of the Eagles. That stretch included a Super Bowl championship, and after only a one-year absence following his Philadelphia dismissal, he took another HC gig with Jacksonville. It will be interesting to see how he proceeds during the 2025 hiring cycle as one of the most experienced coaches on the market.
