Niners Nation
The Jaguars confirmed earlier reports that they interviewed 49ers executive Josh Williams.
The Jacksonville Jaguars confirmed on Wednesday that the team has interviewed San Francisco 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams for the team’s open general manager position. It was reported last week by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Williams had been interviewed. Per Schefter, Williams was the first candidate the Jaguars interviewed after firing Trent Baalke.
Williams has been with the 49ers for more than a decade but was only promoted to the director of scouting and football operations position before the 2024 season. Before that, he climbed the ranks in scouting. He has previously worked as an area scout and national scout with the team.
Williams has connections in Jacksonville. Ethan Waugh, the Jaguars’ interim general manager and assistant general manager since 2022, was with the 49ers as their director of college scouting and football systems before joining Jacksonville. Waugh was named interim General Manager on January 22.
If the Jaguars hired Williams as the team’s next general manager, the 49ers would receive a compensatory third-round pick in the 2025 and 2026 NFL Drafts as part of the league’s initiative aimed at encouraging the hiring of minorities in front offices and coaching staffs. The Niners have previously received draft compensation when Robert Saleh, Martin Mayhew, Mike McDaniel, DeMeco Ryans, and Ran Carthon were hired as head coaches, general managers, or president of football operations.
