When the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Doug Pederson, they did so with the expectation that the former NFL QB could maximize Trevor Lawrence’s potential. After all, Pederson won a Super Bowl both as a player and as a head coach.
But Pederson hasn’t enjoyed the same success as he experienced with the Philadelphia Eagles. After back-to-back nine-win seasons that made it seem like the Jaguars were on the cusp of a breakout year, Jacksonville regressed to a four-win team with their regular season finale lurking on Sunday.
Jacksonville’s recent struggles under Pederson, combined with the fact that he’s yet to lead them to the playoffs, has some wondering if the Jaguars will make a coaching change this offseason. One NFL insider recently took it a step further, predicting they’d hire one of the most sought-after coaches available in the 2025 NFL hiring cycle.
Related: ‘Clean sweep’ could be coming to Jacksonville Jaguars front office
Jacksonville Jaguars predicted to hire Ben Johnson
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been viewed as a top head coaching candidate for multiple years now. It was shocking when he turned down a chance to become a head coach last year, but Johnson reportedly is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to land in a place where he feels he can have a great amount of success.
Could that mindset lead him to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025 if the franchise moves on from Doug Pederson? Sports Illustrated’s NFL insider Albert Breer apparently thinks so.
“I think the Jacksonville Jaguars could be the (Ben) Johnson team. If they are, I think that Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark would be a name to watch. But that’s an educated guess at this point. And, no, Khan can’t just run it back.”
SI’s Albert Breer on Jacksonville Jaguars/Ben Johnson
Coach Pederson hasn’t been able to transform the Jaguars into an unpredictable yet dominant offense despite boasting a former No. 1 overall pick in Trevor Lawrence. But we’ve already seen what Johnson can do with another former No. 1 pick who most would agree has less desirable traits than Trevor Lawrence.
Could Johnson help the one-time Pro Bowl QB become the superstar that everyone thought he’d be coming out of Clemson? After three years of trial and error with Pederson, it may be worth seeing what’s behind Door No. 2, especially if it means having the chance to hire a top coordinator like Johnson.