Doug Pederson’s desperate search for answers after the Jaguars’ miserable 0-3 start could include a jaw-dropping quarterback change.
Jacksonville’s head coach did not rule out benching Trevor Lawrence after the team was crushed 47-10 by the Bills on Monday night.
“There have to be changes, whether it’s game design, personnel, everything,” Pederson said after the Jaguars’ loss, according to ESPN. “Everything is on the table, let’s put it that way, and those are all things that I have to look at, that we have to look at as a team and make adjustments.”
When asked if he would swap out his regular players, including Lawrence, Pederson replied: “They say anything is possible, we have to look at the injury situation. There were a couple of players injured tonight. Could be moved around like that. Could be performance-based. Those are all things we have to evaluate as we move forward.”
It would be shocking if Lawrence lost his job as quarterback, considering the Jaguars offered him a five-year, $275 million contract extension with $200 million guaranteed just three months ago.
Their replacement is Mac Jones, the Patriots’ former first-round pick acquired in an offseason trade, who completed 5 of 8 passes for 22 yards and a lost fumble in cleanup Monday.
In three games this season, Lawrence completed 47 of 89 passes for 560 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
After being selected No. 1 overall in 2021 and enduring the chaos of Urban Meyer this year, Lawrence led the Jaguars to the playoffs in 2022 in Pederson’s first year at the helm and they made a wild comeback to defeat the Chargers in the wild-card round before falling to the Chiefs in the divisional round.
The Jaguars started last year 8-3, but then collapsed and finished the season with the same record as the year before: 9-8.
The answers won’t be easy, as the offense was unproductive and the defense conceded 34 points in the first half on Monday.
“That’s the NFL: The quarterback has to play well every week to have a chance to win, and I feel like I haven’t been able to do that consistently enough. So I’m taking responsibility and I have to play better,” Lawrence said.
Seven years after leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl, Pederson could be feeling the pressure in Jacksonville.
“That’s where we are now and it’s not very good,” he said. “We have to be honest with ourselves and I have to be honest with myself and just move on.”
