Shad Khan eyes ex-Jets coach as Doug Pederson’s replacement at Jaguars

Robert Saleh may not be unemployed for too long as multiple teams, including Shad Khan's Jacksonville Jaguars, want to make him their head coach.

Shad Khan eyes ex-Jets coach as Doug Pederson’s replacement at Jaguars

Robert Saleh (Image via IMAGO)

Shad Khan’s search for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new head coach might end sooner rather than later. The buzz around the NFL is that former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is the prime candidate to fill the vacant position.

Doug Pederson ran out of time in Jacksonville after finishing the 2024 season with a 4-13 record. Not long after their final-day loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Khan fired Pederson and has been on the hunt for a new head coach ever since.

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Khan set up meetings with several candidates, including Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. However, he doesn’t seem to be the clear-cut favorite to take the job because he has eyes elsewhere. In the meantime, a recent article from Zach Rosenblatt in The Athletic revealed that Khan likes Robert Saleh.

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This one might feel like it’s out of left field, but there’s some real buzz about Saleh’s chances of securing this job.

Zach Rosenblatt wrote

After the Jets fired Saleh in October last year, he worked as an offensive consultant to Matt Eberflus at Green Bay Packers. However, the 45-year-old’s future in Green Bay remains shrouded in mystery as the Packers season ended after losing their wild card fixture against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Prior connection with Shad Khan may help Robert Saleh land the Jaguars’ job

Saleh has been part of several different coaching legacies throughout his career. After learning his trade with Michigan State Spartans in college, winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks as a defensive quality control coach, and working with Kyle Shanahan at the San Francisco 49ers, Saleh has bags of experience. He also faced the New York media head-on and lived to tell the tale.

Shad Khan eyes ex-Jets coach as Doug Pederson's replacement at Jaguars robert saleh
Robert Saleh (Image via IMAGO)

In between all of this, Saleh spent three seasons in Jacksonville as the linebackers coach under head coach Gus Bradley—two years after Shad Khan became owner of the Jaguars. Rosenblatt mentioned Saleh still has a lot of admirers in the building.

[Robert] Saleh [still] has a lot of fans in the Jaguars’ building from his time as the linebackers coach [from 2014-16]. He’d also be inheriting a more talented roster in Jacksonville than he did with the Jets in 2021, starting at quarterback. No matter what you think about Trevor Lawrence, he’s an obvious upgrade over what Saleh had with Zach Wilson.

Zach Rosenblatt wrote

The only issue is that the 49ers have also shown interest in giving Saleh his old position as defensive coordinator back. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote that Saleh is closer to joining the Niners over the Jaguars.

Saleh runs Shanahan’s preferred scheme, knows the key defensive leaders still on the roster, and has proved adept at altering the defense when injuries or other factors have made it necessary.

Nick Wagoner wrote
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Not only that, other teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders and the New Orleans Saints want to set up interviews with Saleh. There are several options on the table for him; it’s only a matter of time before he returns to coaching again to better his 20-36 record.

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