Jaguars vs. Chiefs: Doug Pederson Reveals Who Will Call Plays in Preseason Opener

Who will call the plays for the Jaguars' offense on Saturday vs. the Kansas City Chiefs?

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson addresses the media ahead of the start of the fifth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Monday, July 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars is closer to being answered.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Thursday that offensive coordinator Press Taylor would call plays in Saturday's preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, though the role is still undetermined for Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins.

Pederson said Taylor would call plays this weekend from the sidelines after doing it from the booth over the last two seasons.

The question of who will call plays for the Jaguars in 2024 arose this offseason after the Jaguars' offense regressed in 2023. 2023 was Taylor's first year as full-time play-caller after Pederson and Taylor each called plays in 2022.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan weighed in on the play-caller question over the summer, making his own preference rather clear.

"Yeah, I have an opinion, okay. But then those are things, it's like the question about Trevor, I have an opinion and I think, but I don't want to tell people, look, we need to do it. Because then things don't work out, they look at me and say, we did it because you wanted it," Khan said in June. "Okay. So I think there's so much been written about it. Heck New York Times had an article on it, and you remember the last line of that article. Okay, the last sentence of that article on this thing. So I think, but Doug, he's empowered. I'm going to let him decide.

"The last sentence was with everything Doug Pederson has riding this season, be wise to have his hand on the wheel."

Pederson first opened the door to a change at play-caller in February.

"I think those are things that I need to, you know, consider this offseason and this spring. You know, there were things out of my control that I had to deal with more, you know, the last year that takes you away from some of that stuff," Pederson said at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year.

"And not gonna get into those but you know, so yeah, it's something that I have to, as part of the evaluation process, I have to evaluate, you know, myself and Press as decision-makers and play callers and see what's best for our team."

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