The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly fired head coach Doug Pederson and cut three players from the team following their decision to kneel during the national anthem.
The move has sent shockwaves through the NFL, sparking debate over whether it was motivated by performance, politics, or both.
According to sources close to the organization, the decision came after Jaguars ownership expressed frustration over what they saw as growing “distractions” surrounding the team.
The controversy reportedly escalated after three unnamed players knelt during the anthem in a recent game, a move that ownership viewed as an unwelcome political statement.
“There's no room for wokeness in this organization,” a team executive allegedly stated. “We are here to play football, not make political statements.”
Pederson’s firing appears to be more than just a response to the protests. While he led the Jaguars to a playoff berth in 2022, the team has struggled with inconsistency, and ownership had reportedly been growing impatient with his leadership.
However, some believe that Pederson’s departure was linked to his handling of the kneeling controversy and his willingness to support players' rights to express themselves.
“Doug never tried to control his players in that way,” an anonymous source within the team said. “He believed in letting them be who they are, and that may not have sat well with ownership.”
The three players who were released remain unidentified, but their dismissal has added fuel to an already heated debate about free speech in sports.
The NFL has long been divided over national anthem protests, a movement that began in 2016 when former quarterback Colin Kaepernick first took a knee to protest racial injustice and police brutality. Since then, some teams and owners have supported players’ right to protest, while others have taken a hard stance against it.
Fans have also reacted strongly to the Jaguars’ decision, with some applauding the team for prioritizing football over politics and others condemning the move as an attack on free expression.
Social media has been flooded with reactions, with hashtags both supporting and criticizing the Jaguars trending online.
“It’s 2025, and we’re still having this debate,” one fan tweeted. “Players should be allowed to stand or kneel as they choose. Firing them over it is just wrong.”
On the other side, some supporters of the team praised the decision, arguing that sports should remain separate from social issues.
“Good. Keep politics out of the game,” another fan wrote. “We watch football for football, not protests.”
With Pederson now out of the picture, the Jaguars are on the hunt for a new head coach, and speculation has already begun about who might step in.
As for the three players, it remains to be seen whether other teams will pick them up or if their stance on the anthem will impact their future in the league.
Regardless of where one stands on the issue, the Jaguars’ bold move has reignited the national conversation on player activism and the limits of free speech in professional sports.
