By Mike Bonts
JACKSONVILLE (SportsTicker) - It was a hot and muggy beginning to the Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 training camp Monday morning at Episcopal High School.
But nobody seemed to mind.
Especially new head coach Doug Pederson.
“It’s exciting. Emotions are high. We’re looking forward to having a really good camp, a good, competitive, physical camp. But for me, personally, it’s exciting to be back out on the grass with these guys for another training camp and seeing where we go,” Pederson said following the first day.
Not to dwell on the recent past. But the Jaguars are coming off a miserable season. The Jaguars finished 3–14, improving slightly upon their 1–15 record from 2020. They failed to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Fast forward to 2022. The mood in the camp on Monday was lively and positive.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is enthusiastic about Pederson's reputation for working with QBs.
"It’s cool seeing the way he approaches things. He’s definitely a player’s coach, in the sense of he takes care of us, but there’s an expectation. He knows what it takes to win and what it takes to win championships,” Lawrence said. “There’s that expectation that you need from your head coach. There’s a standard you have to uphold, but he also knows how to take care of players, what players are feeling."
Pederson said he thought Sunday will be the full-padded day. Training camp continues Tuesday morning.