The Jacksonville Jaguars left the practice field Thursday and instead spent what was supposed to be the final day of their organized team activities (OTAs) playing paintball.
The guys have been working hard so we decided to swap out the final OTA practice for team paintball 😅#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/DKtwBUjWvh
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 8, 2023
“Trent, go on without me!”@zayjones11 and Baalke with the tactical movements 🤣 pic.twitter.com/EWQugwoZmH
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 8, 2023
The decision to scrap an offseason practice and spend the day having fun as a team isn’t new for Doug Pederson, who took the Philadelphia Eagles to the bowling alley in June 2019.
Last year, he nixed the mandatory veteran minicamp for most of the roster, instead keeping just a couple dozen or so — mostly rookies and players recovering from injuries — in town for the three-day camp.
“That lets you know that the coach is looking out for you,” Jaguars cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend told News4Jax at the time. “When you have a coach that understands that you put in the work and gives you an opportunity like this, it makes you want to fight for him even more.”
Pederson had to repair and earn trust during the 2022 offseason and his efforts yielded great results as the team fully bought in to his philosophies en route to an AFC South title. A year later, he’s making sure Jaguars players know he still appreciates their hard work and effort.
