Adam Schefter Suggests NFL Coach Could Be Fired After Week 7
Last week, the New York Jets made Robert Saleh the first head coach to be fired during the 2024 NFL season.
In-season firings are still pretty rare, but every year, there's at least one or two. In 2023, three head coaches were pink-slipped during the season, and ESPN's Adam Schefter thinks another AFC coach could be joining Saleh on the unemployment line soon. On "The Pat McAfee Show" Monday, Schefter made the case that Doug Pederson might be on the chopping block.
Pederson's Jacksonville Jaguars are 1-5 after Sunday's loss to the Chicago Bears in London. Dating back to Week 13 of last season, the Jags have lost 10 of their last 12 games.
They are set to face the New England Patriots in London again on Sunday, and Pederson might need a W to save his job--for now.
"I’ll give you two schools of thought there. The first is that Shahid Khan has been steadfast in his support of Doug Pederson, the Jaguars coach. He stood behind him, (saying) Doug Pederson’s a great man, and he said, ‘We’re not doing anything. We’re not making any changes. This is the best roster we’ve ever built,’ and we’ll take him at his word initially,” Schefter said on McAfee's show. “I also will point out to you, at the same time, that over the last nine years, there have been three head coaches who have been fired after games in London. We saw the Dolphins fire Joe Philbin right after they lost in London, we saw the Raiders fire Dennis Allen after they lost in London, we saw the New York Jets last week fire Robert Saleh after they lost in London."
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson looks on from the sideline during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The Jaguars are about to face their second rookie quarterback in a row in new Patriots starter Drake Maye, and Schefter said a second consecutive loss to a first-year passer would not be a good sign.
“The Jaguars lost to one rookie quarterback [Caleb Williams] yesterday. They play another rookie quarterback Sunday in London, Drake Maye," Schefter said. "If they lose that game to New England and to Drake Maye, they then would be 1-6 with that long, transcontinental flight back to Jacksonville. Now, Shahid Khan has not given anybody any ideas that he’s thinking of anything. All I’m saying is there’s been a history of teams that have made moves after the losses in London.
"This is a team right now that is tremendously disappointing. This is a team that could be trading players before the trade deadline if they lose more games, because why wouldn’t you not want to accumulate draft capital? This is a team that outlaid a lot of cash in the off-season."
Khan has recently expressed his belief in Pederson's abilities, but we'll see if he changes his tune if the losses continue to pile up.
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