Incendiary Remarks From Jaguars Star a Warning Not Being Heard?

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco had some words for what he saw on Sunday. Is it a warning not being heard?

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco (5) is introduced before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars edged the Colts on a field goal 37-34. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco didn't like what he saw on the field against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. When he made it known after the game, it blew up:

"How should I say this? A lot of quit. ... As the last line of defense, in a situation like that, you can feel when we’re playing as one and when we’re not. I felt that very early in the game, maybe after halftime, it felt like we weren’t playing like one."

The comments drew a lot of attention. Some called it a call-out. Others called it just. Regardless, Cisco was likely sending a message to a team that is now 1-5 and in danger of spiraling further.

But did the team hear it? Head coach Doug Pederson talked with the media on Wednesday and he called Cisco a good leader for his blunt comments. He then seemed to shrug off the comments as emotional.

"I'm guilty of this too sometimes -- you say stuff out of just emotion. It's hard to not say something," Pederson said. "... I just don't think he meant anything demeaning by it. He's not pointing the finger at anybody because he's in that boat as well, just like we all are. So, I get the emotional side of it, but at the same time, I think we’ve got to continue to just press forward. He obviously will learn from this and his teammates will rally around him. They're not looking at him any different. They want him to perform and play, and that's what he’ll do.”

Pederson said that he had not discussed the comments with Cisco.

"I have not and quite frankly, sometimes I don't feel like I need to in those situations," Pederson said. "I just think give him and the team a couple of days to process. He was much better again today."

One might consider this reaction to those comments to be intriguing, given the fact that Pederson's job is on the line. He is without a doubt the coach on the hottest seat in the NFL. To shrug off what could be a battle cry to be a better team with a better culture -- might be a dangerous move.

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