Bill comes due for coaches of losing teams

The Jacksonville Jaguars have fired Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson in what will likely be the first in a series of “Black Monday” firings in professional football.

Pederson and New England’s Jerod Mayo were the first victims of the NFL’s dark annual ritual of finding fall guys for a disappointing 2024 season, which ended Sunday.

The Patriots took the plunge by firing rookie head coach Mayo on Sunday, moments after finishing their campaign 4-13.

Pederson finished his three-year tenure in Jacksonville with a disastrous 4-13 season after going 9-8 in 2022 and 2023.

It’s been a long fall from grace for Pederson, once the wunderkind field general who led the Philadelphia Eagles to the 2018 Super Bowl title.

He will always be known for calling the “Philly Special,” a fourth-and-goal play that paid off in Philadelphia’s title game victory over the New England Patriots.

Head coaching positions for the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys could also open later Monday.

The New York Jets, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints were already operating with interim coaches and are expected to begin searching for permanent replacements on Monday.

The New York Giants got out of the Black Monday carousel by announcing that coach Brian Daboll would stay for his fourth season at the helm of the Big Blue. The Giants went 3-14 last season and Daboll’s record over three seasons stands at 18-32-1 (.363). The team set a franchise record for losses this season and will have the third pick in the upcoming draft.

This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.