The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2024 season with high expectations. Heck, owner Shad Khan called them the most talented team in franchise history. They were anything but, finishing 4-13. Their underwhelming record ultimately led to an overhaul. The Jags fired Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke, and hired Liam Coen and Trent Baalke, respectively. The duo certainly gives fans reason for optimism but one look at last year shows they have their work cut out.
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports assigned final 2024 grades to all teams and gave the Jags an F, noting that they came crashing down just two years after making the divisional round of the playoffs.
"A pretty ugly season for a team that was just two years removed from a playoff win. The Jaguars' slide at the end of the 2023 season carried into 2024, and it ultimately cost Doug Pederson his job. It didn't help that quarterback Trevor Lawrence was limited to 10 games due to injuries and didn't play during the season's final five weeks. But when he was on the field, Lawrence struggled to find his rhythm, throwing 11 touchdowns against seven picks while completing just 60.6% of his passes. "
Later in his column, DeArdo says that one of the team's few bright spots was star receiver Brian Thomas Jr. He isn't wrong. Even though the Louisiana native got off to a slow start because the coaching staff didn't know how to deploy him, he played like a vested veteran, registering 82 catches for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns.
It's also worth noting that Thomas caught passes from Mac Jones for nearly half the season. There's a strong chance his numbers would've been even better if Jacksonville had gotten better play from the quarterback position. Speaking of, Trevor Lawrence must bounce back in 2024.
Although he wasn't dreadful, Lawrence wasn't great last season. Granted, he had inadequate coaching and his supporting cast was far from great. That said, his decision-making and mechanics left a bit to be desired. The good news is that Coen and offensive coordinator Grand Udinksi should put him in a position to succeed.
But even if Lawrence gets back on track, Jacksonville faces an uphilll battle in 2025.
Liam Coen and James Gladstone will be tasked with get the Jaguars going
Owner Shad Khan moved on from Doug Pederson because he didn't share his vision for turning things around in 2025. General manager Trent Baalke eventually got the boot too because his presence was steering away candidates for their head-coaching opening. In the end, he chose Liam Coen and James Gladstone to lead the turnaround. While both come with intriguing resumes, they also have lots of work to do to get the Jags out of the NFL cellar.
The new regime will need to fix the offensive line and upgrade Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons. No. 16 also has to play better and stay healthy, something that he's failed to do in the past two seasons. On defense, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile will need to get the most out of the underwhelming group. The front office will need to get him a few pieces to work with, a corner, a No. 3 pass rusher, and a defensive tackle would be welcomed.
The good news is that the Jaguars have $38 million in cap space and 10 draft picks. That's enough ammo to revamp the roster. It also helps that the Jaguars already have a talented core in place.
This is to say that a tough road ahead awaits the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Liam Coen and James Gladstone embrace the challenge. Otherwise, they wouldn't have signed in for the job.