In sports, there are plenty of things a head coach can do to put himself on the hot seat, including publicly criticizing his players, making questionable strategic and lineup decisions or simply getting his team to underachieve.
However, the worst and most unfixable problem a coach can face is losing his locker room.
Per Warren Sharp, NFL insider Jordan Schultz said that not only has Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson blamed his players, but Pederson has also lost the locker room.
Shocking insight into the state of the Jaguars locker room:
“I’ve talked to a few guys in that locker room over the last two weeks.
They’ve told me that the locker room is GONE regarding [Doug Pederson]
Absolutely rudderless” – @Schultz_Report
more on pod 👇 https://t.co/N4SnQKvskg pic.twitter.com/zwubFBaiDA
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 1, 2024
It was less than two calendar years ago that Pederson’s Jaguars looked like the NFL’s next Super Bowl contender when they won their last five games of the regular season and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs.
But they fell back to earth last season and lost five of their last six games after starting 8-3, and overall, they have now lost nine of their last 10.
Jacksonville’s roster doesn’t necessarily look like a playoff-caliber one — they lost Calvin Ridley, who was their most productive wideout in 2023, in the offseason, and they have had lots of trouble simply reaching 20 points offensively.
There are also very legitimate doubts that quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who got a five-year, $275 million extension in June, is capable of being a franchise signal-caller.
NEXT:
Doug Pederson Hints At Frustration With Players After Sunday’s Loss