Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson has spent the offseason deciding whether to take over play-calling for 2024 or allow offensive coordinator Press Taylor to continue to be the voice in Trevor Lawrence’s helmet.
On Thursday, Pederson said that Taylor would be the play-caller for the preseason action, starting with Saturday night against Kansas City.
“For preseason, Press will do it for preseason,” he said.
Asked if play-calling duties are still “up in the air” for Week 1 against Miami, Pederson responded: “Yes.”
Last season, the Jags handed off the play-calling duties to Taylor, who was in Philly during Pederson’s run and famously helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl.
However, Jacksonville's offense never looked smooth in 2023, with an up-and-down ground game, and then hit the rocks when Lawrence played through injury. The question for Pederson this offseason is to try to separate how much of the offensive inconsistencies were on Taylor and how much were other factors.
Giving the 36-year-old the duties to open preseason indicates where Pederson is leaning, but if he doesn’t like the look of it, he left the door open to take over before the season kicks off.
Previously, Taylor called plays from the booth. Pederson said Thursday that the OC will be down on field level on Saturday.
“One is you get to feel the game. Two, you’re with the players. And three, you get to make the right correction, communication-wise,” Pederson said when asked about the benefits of calling plays on the sideline. “You feel connected to the football game a little bit more. Early in my career, I was in the box as well, and you’re kind of removed. It’s a little more challenging up there.”
The Jaguars plan to play their starters some Saturday night. Whether that’s one series or one quarter remains to be seen, per Pederson. The coach noted he prefers to play his starters in the preseason to “knock that rust off.”
With Chiefs coach Andy Reid similarly playing many of his key players, the Jags-Chiefs bout will likely be one of the few this weekend where starters on both sides play.