Doug Pederson spent the 2025 NFL season away from the sideline after the Jacksonville Jaguars ended his three-year run.
His next football assignment will put him in front of a national audience.
CBS Sports announced Monday that Pederson will call select college football games on CBS Sports Network during the 2026 season.
Former LSU coach Brian Kelly is also joining the network as a game and studio analyst.
Kelly to serve as analyst on select games, as studio analyst on “Inside College Football” on Tuesdays, and contribute to CBS Sports HQ.
Pederson to call select games on CBS Sports Network.
For Jacksonville, the timing displays an unavoidable contrast.
Pederson’s return to football comes after the Jaguars went 13-4 in Liam Coen’s first season and completed one of the largest one-year turnarounds in franchise history.
The organization moved forward quickly after firing Pederson and is currently considered a Super Bowl contender.
Its former coach, on the other hand, is beginning a different chapter.
Pederson’s Jaguars Tenure Ended With Sharp Decline
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 05: Head coach Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Pederson arrived in Jacksonville in 2022 with the credibility of a Super Bowl-winning coach and the immediate responsibility of repairing the damage left by Urban Meyer’s short tenure.
The first season delivered.
Jacksonville finished 9-8, won the AFC South and erased a 27-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 31-30 in the wild-card round.
Trevor Lawrence threw four first-half interceptions before responding with four touchdown passes, and the rally became the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history.
That run gave the Jaguars their first playoff victory since the 2017 season and made Pederson appear to be the stabilizing presence the organization had lacked.
The progress didn’t hold.
Jacksonville opened the 2023 season 8-3 before losing five of its final six games and missing the playoffs. The decline continued in 2024, when the Jaguars finished 4-13 despite owner Shad Khan entering the year with elevated expectations for the roster.
Pederson was fired in January 2025 with a 22-29 record in Jacksonville.
He produced two winning seasons, one division title and one playoff victory, but his final 23 games included 18 losses. Khan also described the team as too predictable on both sides of the ball when explaining the need for a change.
The franchise’s immediate response under Coen changed the way Pederson’s final season is viewed.
The Jaguars improved from four wins to 13, reclaimed the AFC South and set team records with 474 points and 55 touchdowns. Lawrence finished with 38 total touchdowns and became an MVP finalist.
CBS Role Gives Pederson a Path Back Into Football
GettyJACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 15: Head coach Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets hug after the game at EverBank Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jets defeated the Jaguars 32-25. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Pederson’s move into college football broadcasting is a departure from a career spent almost entirely in the NFL.
He played quarterback for 13 seasons, served as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, and coached the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title.
That background gives CBS Sports Network a former quarterback and play caller capable of explaining offensive structure without relying on coaching-room language.
Pederson also carries recent experience managing a young franchise quarterback and working through the pressure surrounding an underperforming roster.
The role keeps him visible after a season outside the league.
Meanwhile, his Jacksonville tenure remains unsuitable to define with one conclusion.
Pederson helped develop Lawrence into a Pro Bowl quarterback in 2022. He also delivered one of the franchise’s most memorable playoff victories.
But he also presided over a collapse that extended across two seasons.
Pederson will now spend Saturdays explaining the decisions that determine games instead of making them.
Super Bowl-Winning Coach Lands CBS Sports Role 18 Months After Jaguars Exit