'There has to be changes'
Mac Jones was horrendous in his Jaguars debut Monday night, but the former Patriots quarterback still might have a chance to see more playing time in Jacksonville.
The only reason Jones played in Jacksonville’s Week 3 loss in Buffalo was because Trevor Lawrence was equally terrible, if not worse. Lawrence completed 21 of 38 pass attempts for 178 yards with one touchdown, one interception and four sacks. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick’s underwhelming play at Highmark Stadium was a big reason why the Jags entered Week 4 as one of only three winless NFL teams.
Doug Pederson now is tasked with leading a big turnaround in Jacksonville, and the head coach didn’t rule out a quarterback change after the stinker in Orchard Park.
“There has to be changes, whether it’s play design, personnel, everything,” Pederson told reporters, per ESPN. “Everything’s on the table, let’s call it, and those are all things that I have to look at, we have to look at as a staff and make the adjustments.”
Pederson was asked if those changes could include starting lineup adjustments, even behind center.
“You say everything is on the table, we’ve got to take a look at injury,” Pederson told reporters. “Tonight, we had some guys injured. Could be moved that way. Could be performance. It’s all things we have to evaluate as we move forward.”
It feels highly unlikely that a Jaguars quarterback change is imminent. After all, Jacksonville in late April made a significant investment in Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million deal with $142 million guaranteed. Jones, meanwhile, hasn’t even been consistently average since his rookie season in 2021.
But there’s a giant mess in Jacksonville, and cries for change only will become louder if Lawrence and company fall to the rival Texans in Houston on Sunday.