NFL Black Monday: Jaguars Coach Doug Pederson Expected Out Plus Other Scenarios Around The League

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Doug Pederson walked off the field at Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon after his Jacksonville Jaguars lost their 13th game of the season and NFL sources believe it will be the coach’s final game with the franchise, barring a last-minute reprieve by owner Shad Khan.

Pederson, who two years ago seemed to be turning around a franchise that struggled to be consistently playoff-relevant over the previous two decades, missed the playoffs for the second consecutive time this season.

Jaguars Regressed Under Pederson

And 2024 was not just a year out of the postseason, but one in which the football team, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, regressed. This despite Khan relating his high expectations during the preseason when he said, “all the ingredients that go in [to winning] are here. We have to demonstrate that by winning.”

Pederson’s fate is not the only one at stake on Monday – the day now commonly known as Black Monday because it’s the first day after the regular season and the time many coaches or general managers are fired.

There are multiple coaches at risk starting Monday.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is at risk of losing his job.

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll is at risk, as may be general manager Joe Schoen.

Cowboys Have Decision To Make On McCarthy Deal

Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is on an expiring contract and will meet with owner Jerry Jones this week as the two men decide if the coach will sign an extension or not, thus becoming a coaching free agent.

Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan, not expected to win any title but also not expected to have a season so terrible the club will have the No. 1 overall pick in the April draft, is at risk of being one-and-done, per sources.

All this follows a day in which the New England Patriots fired first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins both made announcements they’re retaining their head coaches and general managers.

All this follows the fact the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears will be searching for new coaches while the Jets also need a new general manager.

(The Jets have been busy conducting their search for both a GM and head coach, lead by owner Woody Johnson, team president Hymie Elhai and consultants Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman.)

So what are league sources saying? What are the rumors?

Dolphins May Add Executive Vice President

Let’s begin in Miami. Owner Stephen Ross on Sunday evening seemingly put to rest the idea that changes are looming with either coach Mike McDaniel or general manager Chris Grier. 

And that is all true.

But the last sentence in his statement reads, “We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships.”

That sentence may confirm the idea the Dolphins will explore the possibility of adding an executive vice president of football operations who could serve as an extra pair of eyes to prevent the mistakes Grier and McDaniel have obviously made this year – including diminishing the importance of physical players along the line of scrimmage and adding a capable backup quarterback who can win games if (when) starter Tua Tagovailoa is out of the lineup.

The idea of an EVP has been floated to Ross, but it remains unclear to what degree he embraces it.

Callahan Seems Safe In Tennessee

In Tennessee, the expectation is Callahan is leaning safe. 

But everyone in the building has been concerned owner Amy Adams Strunk has been clearly disappointed with this season. And, again, owning the first overall selection in the draft is a two-edged sword.

“It is the one bonus to a season like this,” Callahan said after Sunday’s loss to a Houston club playing mostly backups. “And, again, not one I ever want to be a part of again. But we are here and can use it to our advantage to improve our team as best we can.”

The coming week will be a big one for NFC East rivals New York and Dallas.

Giants owner John Mara is expected to meet with general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll on Monday and beyond. 

League sources tell OutKick that Mara dislikes the idea of cleaning house only three seasons after hiring both men. He’s done it before and doesn’t really want to repeat the painful exercise.

Mara Wants Reasons For Continuity

But he needs to hear from Schoen and Daboll ideas for the coming season on how a turnaround would happen.

“He wants to reach a certain confidence, some of which he lost this season,” one Mara confidant told OutKick. “I think he’ll get there if he hears the right things.”

It’s unclear how long this process will take and the clearest evidence of that uncertainty is the team on Sunday did not schedule a day-after press conference for Daboll nor a season-ending meeting with reporters for Schoen.

If that sounds ambiguous, that seems to be a theme in the NFC East now.

The final year of McCarthy’s contract expires Jan. 14. And although he wants to remain with the Cowboys, he sounded like a pitchman for a coach who might hit the open market in a couple of weeks. 

“I don’t like to talk about myself,” McCarthy said after Sunday’s loss to Washington, “but I’ll just be clear: I’m a winner. I know how to win. I’ve won a championship. I’ve won a championship in this building. And that’s who I am. We’ll see where it goes.”

Jones Seems To Be Negotiating

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was in no mood to speak his mind on the subject of a coaching change after Sunday’s game. It was as if he was playing mind games.

“I don’t know that I am considering making a change,” he said.

But then he wouldn’t say he was keeping McCarthy, either. 

This sounds like a person getting ready to go into a negotiation with no intention of driving up the price. And that would obviously be good news for McCarthy.

As to the Raiders: Pierce is absolutely not safe despite numerous reports from national media entities that it’s leaning in that direction.

Neither the coach nor club owner Mark Davis addressed the coach’s future on Sunday. But there was a brief meeting between the men, and another one is possible for Monday morning.

Raiders Need Answers On Offense

Pierce is a strong leader of men and has set a culture for the Raiders. But he’s not a tactician and failed to hire outstanding tacticians on offense to attack opponents. It’s the reason Pierce found the need to make changes on the offensive coaching staff during the season.

It didn’t help that Pierce wasn’t given a great or even solid starting quarterback to work with this season. He wasn’t happy about it before the season began, and privately continued to make that point throughout the season.

It led, at times, to friction between Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco, a source said.

Davis doesn’t want to fire his coach or general manager after only one season. But not wanting to do it and actually not doing it are hanging in the balance now.