Bombshell quote from Jaguars HC candidate proves Trent Baalke will scare people away

The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows when they fired head coach Doug Pederson but chose to keep general manager Trent Baalke around. The decision was welcomed with a blank stare from people around the NFL, and just so you know how unappealing the prospect of working with Baalke is, a potential candidate for the Jags' opening shared his thoughts on the situation.

John Shipley of Sports Illustrated had an exchange with a potential candidate for the Jaguars opening and says that having Baalke around makes their vacancy less appealing.

"For the Jaguars to change direction, you have to actually change direction," The coach told Shipley in an exclusive sitdown. "Retaining Trent Baalke greatly diminishes my interest in that job. Lots of promise, but same roadblocks."

It's uncertain who the coach is, and it's understandable that he wants to keep his identity under wraps. After all, he may need to work with Baalke, and his comments could create friction. Having said that, it's telling that candidates are willing to talk about the Jaguars' general manager as a reason to potentially pass on the opening.

Keeping Trent Baalke is quickly becoming a horrible decision for the Jaguars

Trent Baalke doesn't have a great reputation across the NFL and his presence will potentially turn away the top candidates, including Ben Johnson, from interviewing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the upcoming coaching cycle.

Johnson has made it clear that he'll only interview for jobs he's legitimately interested in and will want to work with a general manager who shares his vision. It's been reported that he wanted the Jaguars' job but keeping Baalke around could ultimately make him choose a different path.

What makes the decision to keep Baalke even more surprising is that the Jags were reportedly ready to clean house after the regular season. That would've made them the clear favorite to land Johnson or whatever candidate they had set their sights on. But by keeping the mercurial general manager, their odds of hiring their preferred choice have decreased considerably.

Sure, you could make the case that Trent Baalke has had a good track record of identifying talent in the draft. However, he hasn't had nearly as much success in free agency. But leaving aside his skills as a player evaluator, the reason he's such a controversial figure is his inability to get along with the coaching staff.

Just recently, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Baalke feuded with the Jaguars coaching staff in 2024. Who's to say that the same will not happen with whoever replaces Doug Pederson? As the head-coaching candidate noted, things won't change until Jacksonville acts swiftly and moves on from Baalke.

Unless owner Shad Khan reconsiders his decision and gives Trent Baalke the boot, the Jacksonville Jaguars will fail to attract the hottest head-coaching candidates.

Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: