Heading into Week 13 vying for the top seed in the AFC, the Jaguars stumbled to a disappointing 9-8 finish. This led to the firing of most of the defensive staff by Doug Pederson. With Pederson and the offensive staff, this upcoming season is crucial – especially after the Jags signed Trevor Lawrence to a record-tying deal.

Lawrence is now signed to a five-year, $275MM contract, but this comes after the former No. 1 pick failed to improve on his late-season success in 2022. Injuries hampered Lawrence’s performance in his third season, putting pressure on Pederson and OC-turned-play-caller Press Taylor.

After serving as the primary play-caller for the Jags in 2022, Pederson passed on those duties to Taylor before the 2023 season. Taylor, a former assistant of Pederson in Philadelphia and the brother of Bengals HC Zac Taylor, had never been a primary play-caller before. Khan made a significant comment regarding Pederson possibly reclaiming the play-calling duties, indicating his preference for being hands-on.

Khan did not hint at this being a make-or-break season for Pederson, but his remarks suggest a preference for Pederson to play a more active role. GM Trent Baalke was also closely monitoring the offense in the final weeks of the season.

The Jags only dropped from 10th to 13th in scoring between 2022 and 2023, but after a strong finish in Pederson’s debut season, the fortunes of the team declined in the second half of 2023. Despite Lawrence finishing in the same QBR position as in 2022, expectations are high after signing a lucrative deal.

If Taylor gets another chance as the play-caller, the stakes will be high for the 36-year-old assistant. Pederson had enough faith in Taylor to promote him to OC in Philadelphia after the 2020 season, which led to Pederson’s dismissal two years later.

Reflecting on last season, Khan described it as an “organizational failure.” The Jags, who also made Josh Allen the NFL’s second-highest-paid edge rusher, have had only one 10-win season during Khan’s ownership.

“Injuries are a part of the game, but it’s an organizational failure that occurred,” Khan stated. He emphasized the need for self-reflection to prevent a repeat of the previous year’s challenges.

The Pederson-Lawrence partnership holds the key to potentially reaching contender status, and any decision to replace Pederson could result in Lawrence adapting to his third offensive scheme in five seasons. The Jags face tough competition in the AFC, but they hope Lawrence’s growth, along with new additions, will elevate the team.