In what could be the last game of the Doug Pederson era, the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions matchup went as poorly as possible for the Jaguars. It was a disastrous loss for Jacksonville, losing 52-6. Not much can go worse for Jacksonville in 2024, and with the worst loss in Jaguars history, there is little hope remaining in Jacksonville.
The Beginning of the End for the Jaguars
The Pederson and Baalke Era
As the season progressed, the Jaguars desperately tried to stay in every game and the playoff hunt. After the Trevor Lawrence injury, the Christian Kirk season-ending broken collarbone, and the trade of their starting left tackle Cam Robinson, the writing was on the wall: The Jaguars season is over.
In the Jaguars vs Lions matchup, the Jaguars went short-staffed and were heavy underdogs. It’s no surprise that the Jaguars lost, but the degree to which they lost was shocking. A complete route, where the Lions scored at will against the Jaguars’ defense, and the Jaguars’ offense could barely get the ball into Lions territory. Overall, there might not be a worse single-game performance from any team in all phases than what Jacksonville put on display against Detriot.
After such a terrible loss, there are so many different questions that need to be asked in the building. Those questions, and their answers, will dictate the future of the Jaguars. Fortunately, the Jaguars have a bye week coming up, which will give Shad Khan the time he needs to make the right decision. It starts with the coaching and front office positions in jeopardy, followed by looking through the roster to determine what players can stay and who can go. Overall, it’s looking to be a near-complete overhaul, from the coaching staff and front office to players on both sides of the ball. There is no time like the present for the Jaguars to make these decisions, with the bye week as a cushion for any long-term moves.
Hot Seats in Jacksonville
The Jaguars aren’t alone in their frustrations over the coaching, as the NFL’s hot seats are going up in flames recently. There might be no seat hotter than Pederson and Trent Baalke’s in Jacksonville. Following a complete blowout loss, where the Jaguars were completely embarrassed, there are a lot of changes coming for Jacksonville. If there was any doubt over whether Pederson, Baalke, and Press Taylor would be fired, the reporting regarding Pederson’s job security before the game squashed those doubts.
Now the only question is when the firing will happen. Will Khan pull the trigger during the bye week, or will he reluctantly let Pederson coach the rest of the season as a lame-duck head coach? The logical answer is simple; fire Pederson, Taylor, and Baalke over their week 12 bye and see what you have inside the organization. But Khan is reluctant to fire people mid-season, so the Jaguars could lag in a coaching search if they delay too long.
Teams that put off the inevitable are the ones who typically lag, and Jacksonville needs to take the initiative and fire their head coach and offensive coordinator. Regardless of whether Lawrence returns or not, the Jaguars offense has been one of the worst in the NFL, and it’s even more disappointing considering the pre-season expectations.
Baalke should also be fired, as he has yet to build a good team as the general manager of the Jaguars. Some individuals are great, like Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen, and rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. But, the overall construction of the team is severely lacking, and with Baalke’s career record being in the negative, there is little reason to keep him around, especially as important roster decisions begin to come into view for the final stretch of the season.
Jacksonville had entered a downward spiral in week three against the Buffalo Bills, and despite winning two games since, they have been slowly devolving as a team. From injuries and coaching malpractice to inadequate roster management for those injuries and personnel, the Jaguars are at the cusp of a complete house cleaning. To kick off the clean sweep, the Jaguars need to move off of Pederson, Baalke, and Taylor. The three most prominent names that have negatively impacted the Jaguars’ chances from off the field, all should be fired in the coming days or weeks. None should return in 2025, as it would only hurt the Jaguars’ chances to compete in the future if any of them stayed.
There is one question for the coaching staff, and it’s whether Ryan Nielsen is fired or not. His resume in 2024 has been terrible, but with it being his first year, there are scenarios that he would return. But, if the Jaguars want to be serious about hiring a good head coach, they need to fire him as well. Welcoming a new head coach or general manager with the ability to choose who they want in every coaching position is a boost toward getting the best hire. Someone like Bill Belichick won’t come to Jacksonville if Baalke is still in control of the roster, and Ben Johnson, who the Jaguars got a good look at in the Jaguars vs Lions week 11 matchup, is the hottest coaching candidate after making the Lions offense a juggernaut.
At the end of the day, the Jaguars need to move off Pederson and Baalke, both for a short-term spark, but also for a future that isn’t as bleak as it would be if they returned. Pederson helped the Jaguars rebound from a terrible Urban Meyer experience, but the Jaguars desperately need to have things change if they want to compete in the future. With a ton of individual talent, the Jaguars head coaching job is an intriguing one, and with a high selection in the 2025 NFL draft, there is a lot of intrigue for a new general manager.
What Players Should Be Built Around?
One of the big questions for Jacksonville in 2025 and beyond will be who is returning, and who is leaving. The Jaguars have a lot of individual players with elite-level talent, and there is a lot of intrigue around the league for the coaching job. The talent on both sides of the ball is the primary reason for that interest.
Who Stays and Who Goes On Offense?
Offensively, Lawrence and Thomas are the biggest reasons for a coach to be interested in this job. A quarterback that can play at an elite level, and a top rookie wide receiver with a ton of potential. Alone, those two would be enough for a coach to be interested, but there are a few other key pieces that bring intrigue to the Jaguars’ prospective coaches. Evan Engram is a solid tight end, and Brenton Strange has shown flashes in his sophomore year. Tank Bigsby has emerged as a strong runner and could be a strong counterpart to a running-back duo in the future.
Another big boost is the offensive line and the few individuals there that spark interest. Anton Harrison played very well against the Lions at right tackle, allowing only one pressure. Walker Little at left tackle also played well, and his performance is encouraging as he is in the last year of his deal. Keeping him as the left tackle of the future is a possibility if he continues to play well down the stretch, but the Jaguars don’t have to commit until the offseason. Mitch Morse, Ezra Cleveland, and Brandon Scherff are all veteran linemen who can stay for another year or two but could easily be moved off if the new coaching staff decides to shake things up. Overall, it’s a flexible offensive line that has room to improve.
There are a few players that are likely to be significantly less involved or cut in the future. Gabriel Davis, who was added to the NFL’s week 11 injury report with a season-ending knee injury in the Lions game, has been a massive disappointment for the Jaguars. His future is far from guaranteed, and he could be traded or cut if he doesn’t see some improvement in 2025. But, he is likely to stay around for 2025, with his 2026 outlook being in question. Christian Kirk on the other hand is very likely to be released or traded. His contract is massive, and Jacksonville would benefit from moving off the veteran receiver to try and improve elsewhere with the money that would be saved from moving off him. Travis Etienne is also likely to no longer be a Jaguar, as his tenure in Jacksonville has been incredibly disappointing.
Who Stays and Who Goes On Defense?
Compared to the individuals on offense that are worth keeping around, the defense is nowhere close in terms of overall talent. There is only a handful of players who should be back in prominent roles for 2025 and beyond. Tyson Campbell is the Jaguars’ best defensive back, and coming off a big contract in the offseason, his play has been disappointing despite being the best corner on the team. Jarrian Jones and Antonio Johnson are young players in the secondary that the Jaguars should be willing to build around, as the flashes they’ve shown early in their careers are worth keeping around.
On the defensive line, Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are the only two players who deserve their flowers this season. Walker is steadily improving, and Hines-Allen is still a great edge rusher. But, the two can only do so much for their defense, as the players behind them continue to allow huge gains every week.
Linebacker is a little tricky to determine, with Foyesade Oluokun being the best player there for a while, but his future is uncertain. Devin Lloyd will likely stay around, but Chad Muma from the same draft class most likely has a chance to be moved in the future. But, if the goal is to get younger and rebuild the defense, moving off of Oluokun and keeping Muma and Ventrell Miller as the three linebackers makes the most sense.
Outside of all the names mentioned, there are a ton of defensive starters the Jaguars should be looking to move off from either in 2025 or in 2026. Arik Armstead has been a huge letdown considering his career up until 2024. The big defensive lineman has yet to make his mark on the season, and with time dwindling, his time in Jacksonville might also be coming to a close. He is someone who will be in Jacksonville in 2025, but if he doesn’t have any improvements by then, his Jaguars career will be called early.
While Armstead and DaVon Hamilton have been the two biggest disappointments along the defensive line, the real changes are going to be made in the secondary. Ronald Darby shouldn’t be a Jaguar in 2025, as he’s been one of the worst corners in the NFL in 2024. Andre Cisco has been underwhelming considering his 2023 season, and he could be out of Jacksonville soon. Darnell Savage in his first year of being a Jaguar has been among the least impactful free agent signings across the NFL. He is similar to Armstead, as he’s likely going to stay for 2025, but could be out the door in 2026.
Overall, the defense is in dire need of a major overhaul, and with the money tied up into players underperforming, the readjustment might take place over two seasons. Some of the key pieces, like a good top corner and an elite edge rusher, are in the building already, which makes the defensive coordinator position an interesting one for prospective defensive coordinators.
Final Outlook for the Rest of the Season
As was the case after the Jaguars vs Vikings week ten matchup, the Jaguars should begin to get a better look at a lot of the younger players on their roster. An extended look at Montaric Brown to determine if he can be a starting corner for the Jaguars is imperative to their offseason plans. Determining which linebackers should remain in 2025 is another huge area, and seeing more Oluokun reps isn’t going to help make the decision. Muma and Miller should see more work as the season begins to end. Offensively, Parker Washington and Strange should be getting more involved, especially if Davis is done for the year. Cam Little has been solid for the Jaguars, and he will be one of the few extremely optimistic outlooks among the entire Jaguars roster.
For the Jaguars to begin to rebound from such a disastrous 2024 season, firing Pederson, Taylor, Baalke, and Nielsen comes first. After their firing, getting an extended look at the young players that are in the 2025 plans is extremely important to determine what the Jaguars should do in the draft and the offseason.
Another unpopular, but important task for the Jaguars’ rest-of-season outlook will be to continue to lose games. Getting the first overall pick, and trading it to move down in the draft, can be the difference in Jacksonville’s successful rebuilding or not. A top-five pick, that is used on a cornerback or other player, will be less likely to make an instant impact than if the Jaguars manage to get the first overall pick and move it to another team for a massive haul.
The 2024 season is all but over for the Jaguars, and the only path forward is to look to 2025 and beyond. Trying to scrap together meaningless wins in 2024 will only hurt the team’s future outlook, as the NFL world has seen with many teams recently. While not an intensional tank, the Jaguars should be more than happy to end the season with the first overall pick. It would be another draw for a great coaching or general manager hire. Losing down the stretch is one of the only ways the Jaguars can win in 2024, as their season is over.
Main Image: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
