Doug Pederson's hot seat could reach boiling point in London based on precedent set by Jets

Billionaires are a funny breed of people.

This article is about Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson, I promise. But first we must lay the groundwork to get to where this argument is going, which involves a quick recap of the New York Jets tumultuous week:

Woody Johnson's Jets Shakeup

Jets owner Woody Johnson fired his Head Coach Robert Saleh without warning after Week 5. He just showed up in Saleh's office this past Tuesday morning and told him he was no longer employed.

Saleh being on the hot seat wasn't news, of course. He entered the 2024 season with the 3rd-best odds to be the first coach fired this year according to Vegas. Anybody paying even a little bit of attention knew the situation in New York: this is the Aaron Rodgers show, and this year had better work if Jets employees want to avoid losing their jobs.

The breaking point for Saleh's employment was a close loss to the Vikings in London. The fact that Saleh got canned this year isn't a shock, but the actual timing of the decision was. Why had Johnson chosen to fire him just 5 weeks into the season? Sure, the team sits at a disappointing 2-3 and the on-field operation has been far from smooth. But they just suffered a respectable loss to arguably the best team in the league, and they're about to face the Bills for a chance to lead the AFC East anyways! So why now?

There are plenty of theories, none more popular than Aaron Rodgers potential involvement. It is the Rodgers show over there, after all. And Johnson spoke on the phone with Aaron the night before making his decision. But Rodgers denies any involvement and says he's sad to see Saleh go. Believe what you choose to believe on that front.

My favorite theory revolves around the persnickety nature of the billionaire class. They live in an ecosystem of immense power. At their core, they hate being embarrassed more than almost anything. Especially when it's in front of their friends. And what you need to know about Woody Johnson is that, at the Jets facility and on the official website, he's actually known as "Ambassador Johnson".

See, Woody was the United States' Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017-2021 in the Trump administration. He has many, many important friends across the pond. And they were all, no doubt, watching Woody's team play on their turf.

Last week, former coach Eric Mangini predicted that Johnson could be particularly upset by a London game loss due to the embarrassment of losing in front of all of his UK buddies.

The heart of my point is expressed well by Rodger Sherman here: "knowledge of weird things that piss specific billionaires off" is probably more useful for explaining the NFL than a lifetime of studying the intricacies of the game of football.

Do we know for sure that this was the reason Johnson pulled the trigger on the Saleh decision? No we do not. But does it ring true based on what you know about Billionaire decision-making? Of course it does. We see people in positions of immense power make deeply-human decisions like this all the time in sports.

Doug Pederson Best Not Embarrass Shad Khan

Now enter Doug Pederson and Shad Khan's Jaguars. The NFL's primary London tribute, Jacksonville is headed across the Atlantic this week for their annual two-game residency. The 1-4 Jags currently sit at the very bottom of the entire league, with two winnable and critical games against the Bears and Patriots in front of the Brits.

Doug Pederson's "first coach fired" odds are currently at an all-time high: he's the favorite to be next at +125 according to Vegas. He's in year three of leading the Jaguars, and he has found very little success. That 2017 Super Bowl win feels like forever ago, and the allure of his resume has officially worn off.

Pederson and his team avoided disaster in Week 5, staving off a late push from the Colts to get their first win of the year. But if they don't keep crawling out of the 0-4 hole the dug themselves in September, heads will eventually roll.

Shad Khan, the owner of the Jaguars, is known for his love and appreciation of the UK. He purchased Fulham F.C. in 2013, and his son is the Director of Football Operations for the team. Khan has hosted many business events and parties at famous British landmarks, and regularly hosts his British friends when his NFL team plays in London each season. He's even expressed interest in buying Wembley Stadium in the past.

The parallels of Pederson's current situation with the situation Robert Saleh found himself in this past week are impossible to ignore. Both coaches came into the year needing to make real progress to ensure job security. both started the season slower than they needed to. Both play in London early in the year. And both have billionaire owners who have very significant ties to the UK.

Is the implication clear yet?