It's no exaggeration to say that the Jacksonville Jaguars have been a disappointment this year. Expected to bounce back after an underwhelming 2023 season, they have instead gotten objectively worse.
After finishing 9-3 last year, the Jags are 3-12 with two weeks left this season. What makes this even more frustrating is that they made several changes to the roster and the coaching staff in hopes of challenging the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, the moves Jacksonville made weren't nearly enough.
But as much as the Jaguars deserve bags of coal, they would most definitely be thrilled to find the following four gifts under their Christmas tree.
A new head coach to replace Doug Pederson
Head coach Doug Pederson deserves praise for helping the Jaguars recover from the Urban Meyer debacle and taking them to the playoffs in his first season at the helm. Having said that, he's been resting on his laurels the past two seasons and that's reflected in how his team has performed.
Since late in the 2023 season, the Jags have looked unprepared and disinterested. While they've had the talent to go toe-to-toe with the best clubs in the NFL, they've been plagued by self-inflicted mistakes, and that's on Pederson for letting the team get too comfortable.
Although there's a chance owner Shad Khan will decide to retain Pederson, he's better off letting him walk and find someone who's going to get the most out of an underachieving roster.
The Jaguars would love sustained success
When Doug Pederson took Jacksonville to the playoffs and helped them win the division in 2022, it looked like a sign of more things to come. And for a brief moment, it looked that way. They started 8-3 in 2023 but ran out of gas and went on to lose five of their last six games. Still, they ended back-to-back seasons with a winning record, the first time they achieved the feat since 2004-2005. Then again that was a bar too easy to clear.
Since that 8-3 start, the Jaguars are 4-17 and have had trouble finding that elusive success that has evaded them for years. While nobody will complain about them making the playoffs in 2022, it would be great if they could qualify on a yearly basis, something they haven't done since the late 1990s.
A general manager to replace Trent Baalke
Trent Baalke has had a few hits as the general manager of the Jaguars but not enough to overcome his mistakes and justify keeping his job in 2024. Add the fact that he's difficult to work with, and giving him a pink slip should be a no-brainer.
Circling back to his hits, he's found several franchise building blocks and steady contributors in the draft. However, he's routinely overpaid for free agents and not gotten enough bang for their buck. The issue isn't that he's spending but rather that he's not doing it wisely. That's why he needs to get the boot.
Health and a bit of luck for Trevor Lawrence
Injuries are an inherent part of a collision sport as violent as football, but the Jags would surely love to see Trevor Lawrence finish a season unscathed. The former Clemson Tiger has finished the last two years with season-ending injuries that have derailed the team's overall performance.
Sure, Lawrence has to play better and be more consistent, but that's where a good head, coach, one who could untap his potential could come in handy. Also, he's given Jacksonville a fighting chance whenever he's behind center, so the team would most definitely benefit from a healthy Lawrence.