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The Jacksonville Jaguars have been one of the most disappointing teams throughout the 2024 NFL season. Jacksonville finished the 2024 regular season with a 4-13 record, which is much worse than their expectations heading into the season. The team's failures this season have already led to some changes within the organization.
The Jaguars fired head coach Doug Pederson on Monday morning after the team's disappointing 2024 season. However, Jaguars owner Shad Khan decided to keep general manager Trent Baalke.
This move was apparently a shock within the organization. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that this could make the team's hunt for a new head coach much more difficult. Schultz was told by multiple sources that keeping Baalke could keep the Jaguars from attracting a top head coaching candidate this spring.
This is not mere speculation – the organization had to deal with the same situation when hiring Doug Pederson back in 2022.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan spoke with multiple people within the organization who had the same concern. However, Khan remained unmoved by their arguments.
One source on Monday morning called the move “f****** insane” according to Schultz.
Schultz followed up on that reporting by claiming that many around the NFL are shocked by Jacksonville's decision to keep Baalke.
Schultz dropped a list of quotes from anonymous NFL figures reacting to this news.
“Unreal.”
“Makes no sense. ”
“What has he done to survive two head coaches?”
“The job is not as coveted with Trent there.”
Jaguars will not begin searching for a new head coach after firing Doug Pederson
Now the question becomes: who will the Jaguars pursue as their next head coach?
The Jaguars have plenty of qualities that could make them attractive to head coaching candidates. They have a young, talented QB in Trevor Lawrence who is locked up for a long time. Jacksonville also has talent on the defensive side of the ball. However, the presence of Trent Baalke may turn away some candidates who prioritize a strong relationship with their general manager.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the hot name on the job market once again. One recent rumor even suggests that Johnson could prefer the Jaguars over the Bears. Of course, Johnson could always decide to go back to Detroit like he has the past few years.
Even if the Jaguars don't hire Johnson, they will certainly be after an offensive-minded head coach to pair with Trevor Lawrence.
It will be interesting to see how the Jaguars approach their quest to find a new head coach over the coming months.
Shad Khan may need to write a big check to attract a quality coaching candidate to work with Trent Baalke.
