Washington Commanders' Coach Would be a Good Fit with Jacksonville Jaguars

Could Tavita Pritchard be the perfect fit to run the offense for Liam Coen in Jacksonville?

Jun 8, 2023; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard (M) talks to Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) and Commanders quarterback Jacoby Brissett (12) during day three of minicamp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park, held inside the training bubble due to poor air quality from Canadian wildfire smoke in Ashburn. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Before Andrew Luck took college football by storm as the starting quarterback of the Stanford Cardinal, Tavita Pritchard held that honor, serving in that role from 2007 until early 2009. But after Luck replaced him, Pritchard's playing career started to wind down, eventually leading him to join the coaching ranks in 2010.

Fast forward to 2025, Pritchard is coming off of a season where as the quarterbacks coach of the Washington Commanders, he was instrumental in developing Jayden Daniels into a Rookie of the Year frontrunner, which was a major reason why the team made their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991.

All that led to the Jacksonville Jaguars interviewing him for their offensive coordinator job last week. With a fresh coaching staff headlined by the hiring of new head coach, Liam Coen, the Jaguars are in the process of revamping their franchise in the hopes of returning to playoff form. Having yet to make a decision on who the offensive coordinator will be, Pritchard makes a case to be a strong fit.

Before 2024, Pritchard spent the entirety of his coaching career on Stanford's staff, eventually becoming the program's quarterbacks coach in 2014. During his time as the quarterbacks coach (and offensive coordinator starting in 2018) Pritchard developed multiple quarterbacks into NFL draft picks, such as Kevin Hogan, Davis Mills and Tanner McKee while also helping the offense lead the program to multiple bowl victories.

When it comes to the Jaguars, Pritchard would certainly have his work cut out for him, but one difference between that job versus any other job that he has had so far is the fact that the Jaguars have a more established quarterback.

Everywhere that he has been, Pritchard has had to develop a quarterback more on his own, but in Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence has already proven that he can be successful with the right situation.

Already onto his third coaching staff since entering the league in 2021, Lawrence's career so far has been inconsistent, enduring a rookie year filled with struggles before bouncing back and earning a Pro Bowl selection in his second season. If Pritchard comes in and does what he did with Daniels in Washington, he could return Lawrence back to his 2022 form and help the offense reach new heights.

Whatever decision the Jaguars decide to make will be an important one given the team's urgency to win, but being an up and coming young mind while also having a strong track record of developing young quarterbacks into stars, Pritchard could be the answer to the Jaguars' offensive woes as they look to turn the corner in 2025.