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The Jacksonville Jaguars announced the dismissal of head coach Doug Pederson following a disappointing 4-13 season. However, team owner Shad Khan decided to retain general manager Trent Baalke, citing the importance of continuity in other parts of the organization.
Shad Khan’s Decision
Despite the team’s struggles, including double-digit losses for the 10th time in Khan’s 13 years as owner, he rejected the idea of a full organizational overhaul. “What is a complete overhaul of the franchise?” Khan asked on a Zoom call with reporters Monday afternoon. “Health and wellness of the players, medical statistics, analysis, scouting, and a number of other elements along with contract administration, all of those areas we have really changed [and] improved certainly over the last four or five years. So to change all of that is almost like suicidal.
“You’ve got 85 people working on that side [of the organization] and you say, ‘I’m going to get rid of them and find 85 new people that are going to be better than that?’ That’s like shooting yourself in the foot. I mean, we need to go to work on something that is broken, that needs to be fixed, and continually be improving things that are working.”
Khan pointed to improvements in areas like player health, scouting, and contract management over the past five years. He viewed firing Pederson as a necessary step to address the team’s predictability on both offense and defense.
“Right now we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball,” Khan said. “[In] football, to win, deception is a big part of it. Unpredictability. If you know exactly what we’re going to do on offense or defense, you better have the 22 best players to help us win a football game.
“Being unpredictable is modern football and we have to be able to show that on the field.”
Offensive and Defensive Woes
Under offensive coordinator Press Taylor, the Jaguars ranked 25th in yards per game (305.8) and 21st in passing yards per game (204.5). Injuries to key players, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis, and tight end Evan Engram, hampered the offense. Even before Lawrence’s shoulder injury, the team struggled to sustain momentum, ranking in the middle third of the NFL in most offensive categories through the first nine weeks.
Defensively, the Jaguars allowed 389.9 yards per game, ranking 31st in the NFL, and their pass defense was last, giving up 257.4 yards per game. The unit forced a league-low nine turnovers and lacked creativity, an issue that Khan hopes a new coach can address.
Coaching Change Goals
Khan criticized the Jaguars’ lack of innovation on both sides of the ball. For example, the team used motion at the snap just 11.3% of the time, the lowest rate in the league. Defensively, Jacksonville relied heavily on two-high safety alignments and rarely used Cover 3 schemes, making their approach predictable.
“What we want to do is for them to have an environment where they’re going to be successful and they say, ‘I want my own quarterback, I want my own health and wellness, I want my own doctors,'” Khan said. “I would want to really go through that in depth because if we can get better … and if they have reservations, I would want to address them honestly and openly because our goal is they need to be successful. What do we have to give them to be successful?”
Doug Pederson’s Tenure
Pederson finished his three-year stint with a 22-29 record. He led the Jaguars to an AFC South title in 2022 and a remarkable comeback win over the Chargers in the playoffs. However, the team’s 8-3 start in 2023 crumbled into a 1-5 finish, and those struggles carried into 2024.
The Jaguars endured several embarrassing defeats this season, including a franchise-worst 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions, where the defense gave up 645 yards. Pederson also faced criticism for his decision to delegate playcalling to Taylor, a move that drew scrutiny from both fans and Khan.
Bright Spots Amid the Struggles
Rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was a rare highlight, setting franchise rookie records with 1,282 receiving yards, 87 catches, and 10 touchdowns. Thomas was named a Pro Bowl alternate and is viewed as a cornerstone for the team’s future.
Trent Baalke’s Role and Future
Baalke remains the general manager heading into the final year of his contract. Khan didn’t confirm whether an extension was offered but suggested he might add an executive vice president of football operations to bridge the gap between himself, Baalke, and the new head coach.
Since joining the Jaguars in 2020, Baalke’s tenure has been mixed. While he drafted key contributors like Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr., and Tyson Campbell, he faced criticism for selecting Travon Walker over Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 1 pick in 2022. Baalke also oversaw one of the most underwhelming free-agent classes in franchise history this season.
Khan remains optimistic about the team’s future, believing the Jaguars can return to playoff contention by 2025. Baalke echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of refining the roster and addressing key weaknesses.
The Jaguars will now search for their sixth head coach since Khan purchased the team in 2011. Despite the setbacks, Khan remains confident that the organization is close to turning the corner.
“We don’t need to fix everything, we just need to fix some things,” Baalke said. “And I think identifying that person that can come in and then sit down with the staff that we put together around him and really take a look at the roster. Again, we do this with every year, take a hard look at the roster, identify who the players are that you have to put in a position to win games for you, and then surround them the best you can with free agents and or draft picks.
“The process isn’t going to change. We just have to do some things a little different, a little better.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
