NFL Rumors: Doug Pederson's Command of Jaguars' Locker Room Is 'Gone' amid 0-4 Start

The internal support behind Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson might be eroding, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

Schultz reported Tuesday on the Sharp Football Show that the Jaguars locker room is "gone" with the team riding an 0-4 start.

After Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Houston Texans, Pederson probably didn't endear himself to his players with how he defended offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

Pederson told reporters he thought Taylor "called a great game," and what he said after that undoubtedly raised some eyebrows.

"As coaches, we can't go out there and make the plays," he said." It's a two-way street. So you guys can sit here and point the finger all you want and it's fine. Point it right at me, I can take it. OK. I can take it so whatever you want. Ask me, say whatever, write, go ahead."

It's one thing to mount a public defense of an assistant coach. It's another to mount a public defense of an assistant coach where it sounds like you're passing the buck to your team.

The Jaguars have lost nine of their last 10 games dating back to last season. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who who signed a $275 million extension in June, is regressing and averaging fewer than 200 passing yards per game. And the Jacksonville defense is allowing the third-most yards (380.0) and points (27.3).

In an August episode of the Jags' in-house video series The Hunt, team owner Shad Khan said "this is the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever." Even if he was being slightly hyperbolic with that remark, he made it clear "winning now is the expectation" for the 2024 season.

Jacksonville isn't winning and the players might be starting to tune their head coach out. Ownership's patience may be wearing thin as well. After the Jags' 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union cited a source who said Khan was "angrier than I have ever seen."

There's nothing to concretely indicate Pederson is coaching for his job this week against the Indianapolis Colts. Should Jacksonville fall to 0-5, it's hard to see how he can last much longer, though.