4 strangest offseason decisions by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022

No. 3 Jaguars strangest decision – Extend their head-coaching search

The Jaguars moved on from Urban Meyer less than a year after hiring him to oversee their rebulid. They started the search for his replacement not long after but it took them more than a month to fill the opening. Jacksonville chose Doug Pederson after a lengthy process but they were reportedly close to hiring Byron Leftwich, so what happened?

A wide nest was cast for the search and the Jags went on to set interviews with several candidates for the position, including but not limited to former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Cadwell. Leftwich quickly became a front runner to get the job but ultimately dropped out of the process because he wasn’t reportedly thrilled about the possibility of working with Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke and wanted to bring Arizona Cardinals vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson with him.

After Leftwich removed himself from consideration, the Jaguars hired Pederson. This was a good decision but when you take into account that he was the first person to interview for the opening, it’s fair to wonder why the search lasted more than a month ? It’s true that the Jaguars needed to do due dilligence and they ultimately got the right man for the job. Nevertheless, it feels like the organization could have run a more efficient process.