Doug Pederson doesn't want to see former Auburn football star squander potential

Doug Pederson doesn't want to see former Auburn football star Tank Bigsby squander his potential anymore in 2024; claiming that he still maintains excitement about the running back's prospects in the offense.

“We have to get Tank going, the bottom line. He is too good, that’s why we drafted him. I think early he had some ‘what is that?’ type plays for whatever reason right or wrong,” Pederson said (h/t On3). “Again, in and out of the lineup. He is a young player that we’re excited about.

“Like we talked about last year, we take some burden off of Etienne a little bit, keep him healthy for the remainder of the season.”

Bigsby maxed out at 32 yards in a single game last season and had just one catch in four targets. He never got going in an offense that seemed like a great fit considering Trevor Lawrence's ascension, splitting the non-Travis Etienne Jr. carries with D'Ernest Johnson.

Tank Bigsby had Bryan Harsin upend Auburn football career

Bigsby is having trouble launching in the NFL due to carrying over the negative momentum he had during his final two seasons on the Plains under Bryan Harsin. Bigsby almost transferred in November 2021 when Bo Nix did, but he stuck it out for a 2022 season that only saw him breakout when Cadillac Williams was promoted to interim head coach following Harsin's firing on October 31, 2022.

Jacksonville has one of the worst offensive lines in the country, so that's no different from his AU days. But Bigsby won't get the chance to improve if he doesn't get more touches. That's on him to earn, but for Pederson to give him as well.

Perhaps the Jags' coach is signaling that Bigsby is due for more touches by saying that he's trying to get Tank going. If not, he's putting an arbitrary timeline on when things need to work out for Bigsby in northeastern Florida.