Things didn't go the way the Jacksonville Jaguars envisioned last year. Expected to bounce back from a disappointing 2023, they somehow managed to sink even lower and finish 3-14. That ultimately cost Doug Pederson his job as the head coach.
Now, the Jags are running a search to find Pederson's successor, one who will steer the ship in the right direction and take them to the promised land. While it may be a while before they settle on someone, they've already met with several intriguing candidates.
This brings up a series of questions, who will the Jags ultimately choose? Will the next head coach keep any assistants from the previous regime? Will Jacksonville be aggressive in free agency? How about the 2025 NFL Draft? With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for the Jaguars' offseason.
The Jaguars keep Heath Farwell as the special teams coach
The Jags struggled on both offense and defense in 2025. However, their special teams routinely delivered: The kicking unit, punt, and kickoff returns were always sharp. Heck long snapper Ross Matiscik and punter Logan Cooke earned All-Pro designations. Similarly, Cam Little was as good as advertised, going 27-of-29, with his only misses coming from 40 yards out. That was all due to Heath Farwell.
While some of Doug Pederson's hires look questionable in retrospect, bringing in Farwell was one of the best decisions he could've made. There was no year in which the Jaguars' special teams didn't come through. 2024 was no different, and whoever becomes the head coach — more on that later — will end up keeping him to ensure there's continuity in the third, and often overlooked phase of football.
The Jaguars are going to kick Trent Baalke to the curb
It may be a bit too late, four years too late, but as the saying goes, it's better late than ever. And when it comes to dismissing general manager Trent Baalke, every time is a good time.
While the Jags ousted Doug Pederson, they kept Baalke around. That hasn't sat well with fans, who expected a full rebuild. Moreover, they are legitimately making it more difficult to find coaches who are willing to take the coaching job. After all, who wants to work with someone who's constantly feuding with you and trying to diminish your accomplishments? Baalke's that guy, in case you were wondering.
Surprisingly, owner Shad Khan values Baalke's football acumen but is open to replacing him if a candidate for the job comes up with a reasonable reason. Throughout the search for a new head coach, the Jaguars owner will come to his senses and realize that keeping Baalke around isn't any good and will at last give him the pink slip.
Travis Hunter will be available when the Jaguars are on the board at No. 5
For a while, it looked like the Jags were going to clinch the first overall selection. That is how dreadful they were in 2024. And during that span, they were linked to two-way star Travis Hunter. In the end, though, they got the No. 5 pick, and there was no longer chatter about the former Colorado Buffaloe going to Jacksonville.
Now, the consensus sees Jacksonville taking Michigan standout Will Johnson at No. 5. This isn't bad at all. In fact, he would fill a massive hole in the defensive backfield opposite cornerback Tyson Campbell. Having said that, there's a realistic chance of Hunter falling to the Jags.
The Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns are slated to pick at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. They both need quarterbacks, so the expectation is that Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will be gone when the New York Giants are on the clock at No. 3. Let's say that they roll with either Mason Graham or Abdul Carter and the New England Patriots take one that's left. That would leave Hunter on a silver platter for Jacksonville, and they would waste no time turning the card with his name on it.
The Jaguars hire Ben Johnson as their head coach
As of this writing, it looks like there's a three-way race for Ben Johnson. Depending on who you ask, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chicago Bears, and the Jacksonville Jaguars all have a chance to land the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator as their next head coach.
Even though it's a bit hard to tell where Johnson ultimately will go, the Jaguars offer the best opening of the bunch, and whether Trent Baalke remains or not, the Jags will be able to land the crown jewel of this hiring cycle.
The Jaguars sign Tee Higgins in free agency
The Jaguars signed Gabe Davis in free agency and later drafted Brian Thomas Jr. in hopes of giving their passing game a boost. Only the latter panned out, and it's fair to wonder how his numbers would've looked during his amazing rookie season if Trevor Lawrence had been healthy and there had been a better scheme in place.
Either way, the Jaguars have ample space to pair the ascending Thomas with the vested Tee Higgins in free agency. Furthermore, they won't have to compensate the Cincinnati Bengals, like they would have each of the past two years, because he's hitting the open market.
Jacksonville doesn't have as much cap space as other years, but it's plenty enough to make a run for Higgins. The prospect of reuniting with Lawrence may be too good to pass up, and the Jags will have no trouble locking up the former Clemson Tiger.