Jaguars sign former USFL TE Josh Pederson, son of head coach Doug Pederson

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially signed former USFL Houston Gamblers tight end Josh Pederson, the son of Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. In a corresponding move, the Jaguars waived/injured rookie TE Leonard Taylor.

Josh Pederson, 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, played collegiately at Louisiana-Monroe before going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers. He later would be signed by the New Orleans Saints after failing to make the 49ers' roster but did not make it in New Orleans, either.

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His final NFL gig prior to joining the USFL came with the Kansas City Chiefs, signing a reserve/future contract with the team before being waived on May 5, 2022. In college, Pederson caught 99 passes for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He was named All-Sun Belt First Team in 2019 after catching 43 passes for 567 yards and nine touchdowns.

For Houston, Pederson hauled in 24 catches for 325 yards, placing second on the team in receptions through 10 games. He ranked third among all tight ends in receiving yards. His contract was officially terminated on July 6 in order to sign with an NFL team.

Monday, prior to the team's official announcement, the younger Pederson joined Aaron Dietrich on The Morning Drive to discuss joining his father's team, stating that Doug Pederson informed Josh via text of his signing, stating "I think we're gonna sign ya."

The elder Pederson stated that he thought Josh had a good season and spoke with general manager Trent Baalke and owner Shad Khan about the signing prior to it becoming official Monday. Josh hopes to fly under the radar with his new team, though, that seems like a difficult proposition.

"I'm excited and my agent kind of had to talk me off a cliff. I didn't want it to be thought [of] as a handout, but he reminded me that I've been on three credible teams with three credible head coaches and now, with my production in the USFL, I belong here," Josh said of his signing.

"It took another outside guy to explain that to me and I really believe it and I'm so excited to be here."

The Jaguars are set to open training camp on July 26, with veterans reporting July 25.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars sign former USFL TE Josh Pederson, son of Doug Pederson