Updated Jaguars and Patriots fire their head coaches, Giants keep faith

For struggling NFL teams the end of the regular season triggers an annual exercise in bloodletting known around the league as 'Black Monday' and the action got under way early this year as head coaches were sent packing.

After failing to make the 14-team playoff tournament that will culminate with the 9 February Super Bowl in New Orleans, the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars quickly showed their head coaches the door.

The Jaguars announced early on Monday their decision to fire Doug Pederson a day after the team capped their 4-13 season with an overtime loss at the Indianapolis Colts.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan said he informed Pederson of the decision early on Monday.

"Doug is an accomplished football man who will undoubtedly enjoy another chapter in his impressive NFL career, and I will be rooting for Doug and his wife, Jeannie, when that occasion arrives," Khan said in a statement.

"As much as Doug and I both wish his experience here in Jacksonville would have ended better, I have an obligation first and foremost to serve the best interests of our team and especially our fans, who faithfully support our team and are overdue to be rewarded.

"In that spirit, the time to summon new leadership is now."

Pederson, who won a Super Bowl in February 2018 as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, joined Jacksonville in 2022 and led the team to their first playoff victory in five years before losing to eventual Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs.

He went 22-29 as head coach overall while missing the playoffs in his final two seasons.

The Patriots did not bother to wait until the official start to Black Monday as they parted ways with head coach Jerod Mayo after one season on Sunday shortly after the team beat the Buffalo