After making their decision on Doug Pederson, the Jacksonville Jaguars bewildered NFL observers by keeping GM Trent Baalke. However, Jaguars fans are dreaming of Ben Johnson after Shad Khan’s harsh “predictable” take.
Khan said the team’s approach turned stale, according to a post on X by Tom Pelissero.
#Jaguars owner Shad Khan in an ongoing media call talks up the talent on the roster. “Right now, we are very predictable on both sides of the ball.” Clear that Khan wants innovation as the head coaching search kicks off.
The Jaguars melted down to a 4-13 finish in 2024. They beat one playoff contender, the Colts. But their other wins came over also-rans, the Titans (twice) and the Patriots. Being predictable can do that to a team.
Would Lions OC Ben Johnson roll into Jacksonville?
One thing is for sure, Johnson will pick the job he wants. He’s a hot enough coaching commodity that he will pull the strings on his first top gig.
Would the Jaguars’ job sway his interest? Khan rejected the notion that the organization needed major repairs, according to nbcsports.com.
“Don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater,” Khan said. “We have a lot of things that are working, that can always be improved and will improve. And there are other things that are not working that need to be fixed. The coaching, that is an area that we need to fix now. But certainly over the last few years, we’ve built a football administration and things are working well there.”
It probably doesn’t help the Jaguars chances when candidates like Johnson consider the fickle nature of Khan. As recently as mid-October, Khan stood steadfastly behind Pederson, according to nfl.com.
“I still believe in them,” Khan said. “I believe in the players, and I believe in the coaching staff. (Also,) I believe in Trent. Obviously, the results are disappointing for all of them, just as well as me or any other Jaguar fan, but, the key thing one has to understand (is) we have evolved and really got to a level. I think we've got the players, we've got the coaching, we've got the facilities.”
Shad Khan said he knows NFL is tough league
Khan noted the close losses and how difficult it is to win in the NFL.
“To me, every game you go to, you want to do everything to win it and this is the NFL, that's hard,” Khan said. “Every game is competitive. A loss is a loss, but (it's about) how you lose.”
Johnson has been rumored to be a favorite for the Bears job. But NFL senior reporter James Palmer said Jacksonville may be a better fit, according to a post on X by Underdog NFL.
“Those close to Johnson believe perhaps another landing spot would suit him better,” Palmer said. “Jacksonville is a smaller market. Jacksonville also has an established number one overall pick in Trevor Lawrence and a number of skilled players.”