The Jacksonville Jaguars hired two-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL QB Doug Pederson as head coach on Feb. 3, 2022.
In his first two seasons leading the Jaguars, Jacksonville produced a winning record in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2004-05. In 2023, the team finished 9-8 and second in the AFC South. OLB Josh Allen (17.5) and OLB Travon Walker (10.0) led the Jaguars in sacks in 2023. Their 27.5 combined sacks were the most among any duo in the NFL. QB Trevor Lawrence recorded 4,016 passing yards, while WR Calvin Ridley posted 1,016 receiving yards and RB Travis Etienne Jr. recorded 1,008 rushing yards. This marked the first time in franchise history Jacksonville had a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher in consecutive seasons. In 2023, Pederson and the Jaguars also became the first team in NFL history to win two games overseas in a single season.
In Pederson's first year as head coach of the Jaguars, he led the team to its first AFC South title and first playoff appearance since 2017. The Jaguars ranked first in the NFL in win differential from the 2021 to 2022 season and also became just the third team since 1970 to draft first overall and win their division the following season. Pederson was named the NFL 101 AFC Coach of the Year and was one of three finalists for AP NFL Coach of the Year.
Pederson, 56, joined the Jaguars after most recently spending five seasons as the head coach (2016-20) of the Philadelphia Eagles, compiling a 46-39-1 record during the regular season and postseason. During his time in Philadelphia, the Eagles made the postseason in three consecutive seasons (2017-19) and won two NFC East titles (2017 and 2019). In 2017, Pederson led the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl Championship in Super Bowl LII with a 41-33 victory against the Patriots. In Pederson's tenure, 11 players earned Pro Bowl nods, including six players named to multiple Pro Bowls: C Jason Kelce (2016, 2019-20), G Brandon Brooks (2017-19), T Lane Johnson (2017-19), TE Zach Ertz (2017-19), DT Fletcher Cox (2016-20) and S Malcolm Jenkins (2017-18).
Pederson was key in the development of QB Carson Wentz, who threw for 16,811 yards and 113 TDs from 2016-20. Wentz established several single-season franchise records during his time in Philadelphia, including in completions (388 in 2019), completion percentage (69.6 pct. in 2018), passing yards (4,039 in 2019) and passing touchdowns (33 in 2017) under Pederson's tutelage.
In 2020, Wentz threw for 2,620 yards and 16 TDs while rookie QB Jalen Hurts threw for 1,061 yards and six TDs. The Eagles posted the NFL's third-most sacks (49) with Pro Bowl DE Brandon Graham leading the team with 8.0 sacks. Philadelphia posted the league's ninth-most rushing yards (126.7) led by RB Miles Sanders who finished his 2020 season with a team-high 867 rushing yards.
In 2019, the Eagles claimed their second NFC East division title in Pederson's tenure. Philadelphia made their third straight playoff appearance, posting four consecutive wins against divisional opponents to close the season. The team had six players earn Pro Bowl nods and finished in the top half of the NFL in both points per game and points allowed per game. Sanders set rookie records in all-purpose yards (1,327) and rushing yards (818) to lead the offense while three-time Pro Bowler Malcolm Jenkins led the defense with 80 tackles. Pederson joined Andy Reid as the only head coaches in Philadelphia's history to earn three postseason berths in their first four seasons.
In 2018, the Eagles offense ranked fifth in completions (422), eighth in passing yards (4,524) and eighth in passing yards per game (282.8) while Pederson's defense ranked seventh in rushing defense (1,551), tied for eighth in sacks (44), eighth in first downs allowed (308) and ninth in touchdowns allowed (37). They finished the season with a 9-7 record, earned a postseason berth and defeated the Bears in the Wild Card round.
Pederson directed a historic campaign in 2017, as Philadelphia finished the regular season with a franchise-record-tying 13 wins, earned an NFC East title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC and delivered the first Super Bowl championship in Eagles history. Pederson became the eighth head coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl in his first two seasons with a team and seventh to win the Super Bowl in his first playoff appearance. In 2017, Wentz earned Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. From Weeks 1-14 – prior to suffering a season-ending injury – the second-year signal caller led the league in passing TDs (33), had the fourth-highest passer rating (101.9) and threw for the NFL's 10th-most passing yards (3,296).
Following Wentz's injury, Pederson prepared backup quarterback Nick Foles to take over Philadelphia's offense. Foles recorded a 100-plus passer rating in all three playoff contests, recorded the highest completion percentage (72.6 percent) in a single postseason in NFL history and garnered Super Bowl LII MVP honors.
As a first-year head coach in 2016, the Eagles finished with a 7-9 record while Wentz set Eagles rookie records in passing yards (3,782), completions (379) and passing touchdowns (16). The defense ranked tied for fifth in rushing TDs allowed (10), sixth in first downs allowed (300), tied for ninth in interceptions (16), 10th in passes defensed (77) and 11th in opposing QB passer rating (85.7).
Prior to arriving in Philadelphia, Pederson served as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013-15, helping the team post a 31-17 regular season record over three seasons. Pederson helped QB Alex Smith experience the most productive stretch of his career with three consecutive 3,000-yard seasons.
Before joining Kansas City, Pederson coached the quarterbacks in Philadelphia from 2011-12. In his first year in that role, Pederson saw Michael Vick become the second quarterback in NFL history to top the 3,000-yard passing and 500-yard rushing plateaus in consecutive seasons. Vick set career highs in completions (253) and passing yards (3,303), while throwing the third-most touchdowns of his career (18). Pederson began his pro coaching career as offensive quality control coach with the Eagles from 2009-10.
A 12-year NFL veteran, Pederson played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns after originally being signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted rookie in 1991. He was coached by three of the most successful coaches in NFL history: Don Shula, Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid. Pederson played for Green Bay from 1996-98 and 2001-04 and was part of Packer teams that won Super Bowl XXXI, two NFC Championships (1996 and 1997) and six division titles.
The Bellingham, Wash. native attended Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana Monroe), where he was a three-year starter at quarterback. He finished his career with 6,445 yards and 33 touchdowns on 571-of-1,032 passing.
Pederson and his wife Jeannie have three sons: Drew and his wife AnnMarie (the couple have one son, Lincoln); Josh and his wife Ryan (the couple have two sons, Brodie and Baylor); and Joel, who is a senior at Clemson University.
