Dawgs By Nature
Doug Pederson’s Jaguars might need an upset win over the Lions to keep his job, same with their GM Trent Baalke
The rush to get to the end of the season might only be true for fans of teams that are fighting for the top of next year’s NFL draft but owners could be in a hurry to make big moves before the season ends. Already, the New York Jets have fired their head coach and removed their offensive coordinator with very little benefit. The New Orleans Saints moved on from Dennis Allen and got a victory the following week.
We’ve listed five coaches on the NFL hot seat going into Week 11 including Cleveland Browns Kevin Stefanski. Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars was another coach that we noted could see the door quickly. While Stefanski (and GM Andrew Berry) seemed to have pressure to win games, Pederson’s fate could be sealed with a loss to the Detroit Lions this week:
The Jaguars, mired in a miserable rut after losing four of their last five games, might be looking at another regime change for 2025, and sources say a dramatic move could come as soon as this week, pending the results of Sunday’s game against the Lions.
Inside the building, several sources say change, including the organization potentially moving on from Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, would not be a surprise. Based on several conversations, while Jaguars staffers are still working and grinding, there is a pall permeating the situation. A doom.
The report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is loaded with what seems to be inside information that the decision to move on from Pederson, and perhaps Baalke, has already been made barring a huge upset this week.
The Jaguars have an uphill battle with Trevor Lawrence out again this week with injury leaving Mac Jones set to start. The Lions will also see Za’Darius Smith on the field for the first time since he was acquired at the NFL trade deadline.
With a very difficult finishing schedule after this week, Cleveland could also be looking at a rough finish to the season that includes being featured in the first-ever in-season version of Hard Knocks. With six of their final seven games against teams currently slotted into playoff spots, the Browns could see the hot seats of Stefanski and Berry heat up while the nation watches on HBO.
With Jacksonville being one of two teams Cleveland has beaten this season, it seems appropriate they might move on from their coach if they drop to a league-worst 2-9 in Week 11.
Do you think Pederson should be fired if they lose this week? What do you think about the state of Stefanski’s hot seat for the rest of the year?
