The Jaguars, as you may have heard, have hired a new head coach. After a year away from football, former Eagles coach Doug Pederson is back in the NFL, filling the void left by Urban Meyer, who flamed out in spectacular fashion following a disastrous 13-game stint tainted by controversy.
The hire was met with mixed reviews with some praising the Jaguars for landing an experienced coach with a proven track record (ever heard of the Philly Special?), while others would have preferred an up-and-comer with a fresh perspective (Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore undoubtedly would have fit that mold). Many had perceived Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, whose 9,042 passing yards rank fourth-most in Jaguars franchise history, as the favorite to succeed Meyer, though the 42-year-old surprisingly removed his name from consideration earlier this week, citing creative differences with GM Trent Baalke.
Regardless, the real story here is the statement released by owner Shad Khan, which clocked in at an exhausting 1,063 words.
Khan’s thesis-length announcement of Pederson’s hiring instantly went viral, drawing comparisons to similarly thorough works such as David Foster Wallace’s famously longwinded novel, Infinite Jest.
If you care to read the whole thing, Khan’s comprehensive statement, which reads more like a biography than a press release, serves as a helpful primer for those unfamiliar with Pederson’s past resume, highlighting his successes in Philadelphia, including leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over New England (on the back of second-stringer Nick Foles, no less) in 2017.
With Jacksonville committed to Pederson, just three head coaching vacancies remain (Houston, Miami and New Orleans). Notably, none of the six coaches hired this cycle would qualify as minority candidates, shining a light on the diversity issues expressed by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league earlier this week.
In Jacksonville, Pederson will be tasked with mentoring first overall pick Trevor Lawrence, who struggled mightily as a rookie with 12 touchdowns and a league-worst 17 interceptions.
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