On Jan. 6, the Jacksonville Jaguars dismissed Doug Pederson after three seasons as the team’s head coach from 2022-2024.

So, Trevor Lawrence will have a new leader in 2025, and it will be the third head coach in five seasons for the former Clemson star and current Jaguars franchise quarterback.

Lawrence met with the media this week and gave his overall reaction to Pederson being fired following Jacksonville’s disappointing campaign this season.

“As a player, it’s weird, especially given the history with Coach being here and having success early. … As a player, you look at it and you understand that’s part of the business,” Lawrence said. “But you’re also disappointed and you feel some responsibility because as a player, you have impact on the game – it’s on us as well. It’s unfortunate, I guess is the best way to put it, just because you feel like you wish you could’ve done more and you wish you would’ve won more games.

“If you asked any of us going into this season, no one would’ve thought Coach Pederson would’ve been fired at the end of the year. And you just see the way the year went, and it’s just disappointing. So, I think it’s a weird feeling, but you do understand it’s part of the business. You have to continue to get better, and for whatever reason this year, we didn’t do that. I think there’s a lot of things at play regarding that, and it’s not all just on one person.”

After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence spent most of his rookie season playing for Urban Meyer, who was fired in December 2021 following a controversial and drama-filled, 13-game (2-11) tenure as the Jaguars’ head coach. Jacksonville would then replace Meyer by hiring Pederson, the former Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl winning head coach.

Pederson compiled a 22-29 record across his three seasons in Jacksonville. After finishing 9-8 in both 2022 and 2023, Jacksonville went 4-13 this season. Pederson helped lead the Jaguars to the AFC South title and a playoff victory in 2022, but he lost 18 of his final 23 games.

Lawrence expressed gratitude for Pederson on a personal level and credited Pederson for bringing stability to the Jaguars when the franchise desperately needed it after Meyer’s brief and tumultuous tenure.

“I’m very grateful for Coach and what he’s done here and done for me,” Lawrence said. “My rookie year was really tough—a lot of chaos and turmoil, and just a really crazy situation. And for him to come in and provide stability and to kind of revive our team a little bit and be that consistent piece and voice for us, he’s done a lot of great things here, so I don’t want that to be overshadowed by obviously a tough and disappointing finish to how it went.”

As they search for a new head coach, the Jaguars conducted a virtual interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Saturday afternoon. It marked the third interview of the search, as the Jaguars virtually interviewed Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on Friday night and virtually interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Saturday morning.

As of Saturday afternoon, the Jaguars had interviewed or requested interviews with 10 candidates, including Johnson, Glenn, Spagnuolo, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

Lawrence was asked what he would like to see in his team’s new head coach and what goes through his mind when he thinks about what he wants in a leader of the Jags franchise.

“There’s a lot of things,” Lawrence said. “Obviously I’m biased. I’m an offensive guy, I’m a quarterback, so I think from that standpoint, it sounds great having a young offensive coach that can bring the system in and that we can just grow together and have that system in place for years to come. That sounds great. So, from that standpoint, that would be great. But just as far as a leader, you want the right guy that’s going to be the right leader and voice for your team and set that culture. And just to be a tough team mentally, physically, that can withstand the ups and downs of the season. I think that was something that two years ago, we did a great job of. But for whatever reason this year, we weren’t able to do that. It’s hard to put a finger on sometimes why you’re not able to.

“But I think from a leader standpoint, whether it’s an offensive coach or a defensive coach, just a guy that’s going to instill that culture, that toughness into our team and just that confidence that it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, when we’re playing – just spot the ball and we can beat anybody. And just a tough team that other teams don’t want to play against. So, all that, we need to get back to that, and whether it’s offensive or defensive, that’s I think the most important piece.”

–Photo courtesy Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images