Jacksonville Jaguars TE Josh Pederson will make his NFL debut on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13. Pederson is a familiar name for NFL fans but is most associated with Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.
Who Is Josh Pederson?
Josh Pederson is the son of the Super Bowl LII-winning head coach and plays tight end for the Jaguars.
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It was announced before the Jaguars MNF game against the Bengals that Pederson was being elevated to the active squad, which will see him play his first NFL regular-season game.
Pederson was likely upgraded to the active squad after the other tight ends on the roster, Luke Farrell and Brenton Strange, were listed as questionable during the week.
Evan Engram is still likely to take the majority of reps as the Jaguars’ premier option, but Pederson could intermittently see the field during Monday Night Football. Apart from Engram, Pederson is the only other healthy option at tight end for Jacksonville.
However, Pederson doesn’t want to be viewed as a player living off his father’s success. He told KNOE8, “I had been on three credible teams with three credible head coaches. And now, with my production in the USFL, I belong here. It took another outside [his agent] to explain that to me. I believe it, and I’m so excited to be here.”
Pederson’s Career Journey
Josh Pederson played college football at Louisiana-Monroe. After redshirting his freshman year, Pederson had 1,191 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his college career. He was named first-team All-Sun Belt in 2019 during his junior year.
The tight end went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft and spent time on multiple practice squads.
He originally signed for the 49ers practice squad before being waived in the summer of 2021 and finding himself on the practice squad in New Orleans. He was also cut from them that same August.
Pederson found himself back on an NFL team in February 2022, signing a reserve contract; he was eventually waived from the Chiefs.
In May 2022, Pederson decided to join the USFL, signing with the Houston Gamblers. He spent a season as an inactive player before playing 10 games in 2023, catching 25 passes for 325 yards.
Then, in July 2023, after leaving the Gamblers, Pederson joined his father in Jacksonville before being cut by his dad and then re-signing on their practice squad in August.
On what it meant to join his dad, Josh told KNOE8, “I got to break the news to my mom and my brother. That was pretty cool. She flipped out.”
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