ClutchPoints
In many ways the NFL is like poker. If you’re competing against 31 other franchises and you don’t know who the sucker is… you’re the sucker. The Jacksonville Jaguars found that out the hard way when their decision to retain Trent Baalke as GM hindered the team’s ability to land one of the top head coaching candidates of this hiring cycle.
The Jaguars finally fired Baalke on Wednesday. But the move came two weeks too late. Now Jacksonville is getting dragged for its awful decision making.
“There might not be a bigger fumble this cycle than how the Jaguars handled this. Top coaching candidates were never going to Jacksonville with Trent Baalke still in place. Now, after all the top names have turned them down, the team (owner) finally realizes it. What a mess,” NFL insider Ari Meirov wrote on X.
“It’s unbelievable how everyone but the Jaguars themselves saw the mistake in retaining GM Trent Baalke… Now they’re finally making a change, but… Ben Johnson is in Chicago, and Liam Coen stayed in Tampa. Those were widely believed to be their top two targets… Beyond dysfunctional,” Meirov added.
It sometimes feels as if the Jaguars exist for no other purpose than to make you feel better about whatever team you root for. Of course, that’s cold comfort for Jaguars fans. But few franchises are capable of pulling off the comedy of errors that is Jacksonville’s 2025 offseason.
The Jaguars’ job looks appealing on paper. The team appears to have its franchise quarterback in former first overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract with Jacksonville prior to the 2024 season. Before the Jaguars’ depressing 4-13 finish this year, the team produced back-to-back 9-8 seasons. And Jacksonville plays in the eminently winnable AFC South.
Despite all the positives, the organization shot itself in the foot by hanging onto Baalke after firing head coach Doug Pederson. Unsurprisingly, that choice had serious consequences.
“Around the NFL, executives were stunned when Trent Baalke was retained after the season. Many called it malpractice and some laughed at the decision. It’s fair to wonder where the Jaguars would be if they had fired him two weeks ago… Better late than never, but this disaster was obvious to everyone from the start,” Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz wrote on X.
Although the Jags missed out on their top choices for the team’s next head coach, a couple solid candidates remain available. Jacksonville has shown an interest in Robert Saleh. It would be interesting to see what the former New York Jets coach could do with a competent quarterback leading his offense.
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