The Jaguars keeping Trent Baalke is more proof they’re broken beyond repair

Until the Jaguars let go of their half measures with leadership, they’ll never be serious about winning football.

I can’ believe we’re here again with the Jacksonville Ja--actually, yes. I can believe we’re here once again with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After another lost season where the Jaguars set a new standard for dysfunctional and disgusting football, Jacksonville fired head coach Doug Pederson. The duo of Pederson and GM Trent Baalke put together a 22-29 record over three seasons, with one playoff win to go with it, despite picking near the top of the draft almost every year. However, the man that assembled the team that Shad Khan said was the best roster in Jaguars history only to get 40 and 50 points dropped on them IN THE SAME SEASON gets to stay around and choose the next coach.

Genuine question for Shad Khan and the Jaguars in general: WHAT winning culture was built not long ago? When? In the last decade the Jaguars have the worst record in the NFL, going 55-109 since 2015. Fun fact: the Cleveland Browns went 0-16 AND 1-15 and STILL have a better record than the Jaguars in that same timespan. The Jaguars went 9-8 and won the division for the first time since 2017 and decided to kiss their own ass and got stagnant, as everyone in the conference got better.

It starts up top, with Baalke himself. Sure, he might’ve drafted well, nailing the picks of Brian Thomas Jr, Anton Harrison, Trevor Lawrence, and Travon Walker. But when you’re constantly picking in the top half of the first round you better be able to get the no-brainers correct.

The problem with Baalke is the consistent missteps with hiring head coaches and constant failure to acquire talent via free agency that end up working out. WR Christian Kirk, TE Evan Engram and LB Foye Oluokun look like the best signings he’s had as the GM of the Jaguars, but let’s go deeper. WR Gabe Davis was a dud, DT Arik Armstead was playing on the edge for most of the season and CB Ronald Darby was nowhere near the corner needed next to Tyson Campbell. To say that the body of work for Baalke is good enough to keep him around as the Jaguars trudge through the doldrums of ineptitude AGAIN is naivete at best, and malpractice at worst.

On top of that, trying to find a coach that’s willing to work with Baalke is like trying to find a snowman in hell. If you don’t believe me, listen to literally anyone else that isn’t named Trent Baalke.

At some point, Khan needs to wake up and realize that this team will never be relevant until he’s ready to clean house or overhaul the current leadership.

But don’t mention the phrase “clean house” to Khan, or he’ll lose whatever is left of his mind.

Being scared of change because of the unknown is how we got to this place with Khan and the Jaguars. The king of half-assed decisions, only fixing one small part of the problem while never being able to jump forward into the future like Khan wants. This is Khan’s standard operation, which is the saddest part. Always two years too late on the train, waiting to promote a coordinator or keep the same people close to him that know football because he thinks Cover 3 is a type of Tempur-Pedic product.

How many coaches avoiding Jacksonville despite having the QB is it going to take until Khan realizes the problem? How many more underwhelming free agent acquisitions will Baalke get before Khan realizes that no matter how you slice it, the fish is rotting from the top down?

The Jaguars are going to keep finding themselves on this rollercoaster because Khan is unwilling to get rid of the problem, as the cornerstones of this franchise like Josh Hines-Allen find themselves under their third head coach in their short career. You want to know how to find some “unpredictability” with a new head coach? Step into the future and get away from the GM who is actively chasing away good coaching candidates for the franchise you claim to care about.

At this point, the only word that can describe the fanbase is apathy. The Jaguars have managed to take what should be an exciting new era and do what they do best: punt it through the end zone. Why would the fans care about this team when it’s clear Khan doesn’t care enough to make the changes necessary to actually win serious football games? Khan claims to have admiration for how the New England Patriots run their operation, but what separated the Pats from everyone else at their peak was their willingness to adapt and adjust to stay ahead of the curve.

Khan’s Jaguars, on the other hand, are hanging onto a 9-8 finish from 2022 that saw them barely make the playoffs. What’s Trent Baalke’s most successful year as a GM outside of Duval county? Three years tied to Jim Harbaugh where it’s clear that the one with the juice was Harbaugh. Then, Baalke does what he does best: blame the coach and buy himself more time to hire another guy that he can throw under the bus if it doesn’t work. Sound familiar?

I’ve never been one to say this, but I’m at this point: if Khan can’t find anyone with an iota of football knowledge outside of Baalke to surround himself with, he should just sell the team. Continuing to take half-steps as this team goes backward and they ruin more top draft picks who will probably go elsewhere and win Super Bowls, like Jalen Ramsey.

Maybe that’s what’ll have to happen for Khan to wake up. But as long as Baalke is still there, the Jaguars will only be known as saying they want to move forward but stuck on the one thing holding them back.