Doug Pederson Says He Hasn't Lost Jaguars' Locker Room amid Struggles, NFL Rumors

Despite being the NFL's only winless team, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson remains confident players are still listening to his message.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Pederson dismissed rumors that he has lost the locker room.

Trevor Lawrence also responded to the rumors, defending his head coach when asked by reporters:

The question came amid a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz on the Sharp Football Show with Warren Sharp that multiple people inside the Jaguars' locker room insist the locker room is "gone" with regard to Pederson.

The seat appears to be getting very hot for Pederson right now, though he doesn't seem particularly concerned.

Speaking to reporters after Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Houston Texans, Pederson dismissed a question about his job status.

"I mean, it's kind of a strange question but okay," he said.

In addition to being the only team without a win so far this season, the Jaguars have lost nine of their last 10 games dating back to the 2023 campaign. They are 3-9 in 12 games since their Week 9 bye last year.

If there is any reason to be hopeful for a turnaround, it's that the Jaguars have been competitive in three of their four games this season. Their losses to the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Texans were by a combined total of 12 points. The Dolphins won a walk-off-field goal, while the Texans scored the go-ahead touchdown with 18 seconds remaining.

But those games also highlight many of the issues that have plagued the Jaguars dating back to last year. They are not a fundamentally sound team, which can be a product of poor coaching.

Per ESPN's Ben Solak, the Jaguars have 10 offensive procedural penalties through four games and six of them have come in the red zone, tied for most in the NFL.

There are a lot of other problems in Jacksonville right now. Trevor Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million extension in June, ranks 35th out of 37 quarterbacks in completion percentage (53.3). The defense has allowed at least 388 yards in three of four games.

At some point, though, Pederson has to find a way to make the best of the talent he's got. Lawrence is a better player than he has shown this season. Josh Hines-Allen is a dynamic edge rusher.

Pederson is 18-20 as Jaguars head coach since being hired February 2022. He has four playoff appearances in eight seasons as a head coach dating back to his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.