Jaguars Officially Sign TE Josh Pederson, Son of HC Doug Pederson

Josh Pederson is officially a Jaguar.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it official. 

After days of speculation, the Jaguars officially signed tight end Josh Pederson -- the son of head coach Doug Pederson -- on Monday. 

To make room on the 90-man roster for the 25-year-old tight end, the Jaguars waived/injured undrafted free agent tight end Leonard Taylor, who will revert back to the Jaguars' injury list and remain there for the 2023 season if he is not claimed. 

Pederson is the second USFL player signed to a contract this offseason after Birmingham Stallions kicker Brandon Aubrey signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Pederson played in all 10 games during the 2023 USFL season for the Houston Gamblers. He caught 25 passes for 325 yards and ranked third in receiving yards among tight ends. 

Pederson played collegiately at Louisiana-Monroe and caught 99 passes for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his junior year, Pederson was named First-team All-Sun Belt after recording 43 receptions for 567 yards and 9 scores. He then started every game his senior year, recording 32 catches for 367 yards.

Pederson went undrafted during the 2021 NFL Draft before signing with the San Francisco 49ers and then spending time with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints.

“Any team that is willing to give Josh an opportunity, that’s great,” Doug Pederson said in 2021, the same year he ran his son's workouts at his college pro day in front of 25 NFL teams.

“If it’s Philly, that’s awesome. It’s a great place to play, great fanbase and he’d have an opportunity to do that. There are 32 teams and hopefully one of them takes a shot on him.”

Pederson will now enter training camp alongside other tight ends on the Jaguars' roster, a room that includes Evan Engram, Luke Farrell, Gerrit Prince, Brenton Strange, and Sammis Reyes.