Doug Pederson is indeed interested in interviewing for the head coaching vacancy in Jacksonville.
With the Jaguars firing Urban Meyer Thursday morning, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that the job in Jacksonville is still expected to be "coveted" among potential head coaching candidates.
We suggested last weekend that Pederson -- who has taken a year off after being fired by the Philadelphia Eagles in January -- could be an interesting candidate if the Jaguars job became available. Of course, it now has become open, and La Canfora hears that Pederson "would very much be interested in interviewing with Jacksonville." He adds that Pederson, 53, has already begun to assemble a coaching staff for the possibility that he returns to coaching in 2022.
That staff could be of use in Jacksonville, or elsewhere if Pederson draws interest from other teams who might have vacancies. The Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders are among the potentially attractive jobs that could become available in the coming weeks.
Make no mistake, though, if you're a head coaching candidate that's still very confident in Trevor Lawrence despite an uneven rookie season, Jacksonville might be as attractive of an opening as possible. It's not a high-pressure media market, and prior to Meyer forcing his hand, owner Shad Khan had typically been patient with his head coaches. The Jaguars have three pieces who could be part of their long-term offensive core -- Lawrence, James Robinson and 2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne, who has missed his entire rookie season because of a Lisfranc injury in his left foot. They may also end up with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, where they could be in position to add an elite edge rusher, such as Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The Jaguars -- and any team with an "open" head coach position -- can start interviewing Pederson and any other candidates that are available or given consent by their current employer beginning in Week 17.
In five seasons as the Eagles head coach, Pederson posted a 42-37-1 regular season record, guiding the team to three postseason appearances. Under Pederson, the Eagles won their first Super Bowl title, defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII.
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