Jaguars fans must be thrilled they didn’t hire Ben Johnson after latest coaching move

• The Jaguars dodged a bullet when they lose out on Ben Johnson.

Jan 22, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson answers questions during a introductory press conference at PNC Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Jan 22, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson answers questions during a introductory press conference at PNC Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Following the dismissal of Doug Pederson, the Jacksonville Jaguars were zeroing in on Ben Johnson to fill their head-coaching vacancy. But despite having mutual interest, he went to the Chicago Bears. On the other hand, the Jags landed Liam Coen, so you could make the case that things worked out just fine for them. In fact, they're probably thrilled they didn't hire Johnson based on his latest addition to his staff.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media broke the news that Chicago is hiring former Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor as their passing game coordinator.

This doesn't come as a surprise when you take into account that it was previously reported that Taylor, along with defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and offensive line coach Phil Rauscher, wasn't expected to return to Jacksonville.

In fact, the Jags had begun a search for a new offensive coordinator even before Taylor bolted for the Bears. They met with Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase for the position. Similarly, they've considered Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Tavita Pritchard for the same role.

There was chatter that former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly could also join Liam Coen's staff as the offensive coordinator. However, they haven't formally interviewed him.

Now that Taylor is gone, it's just a matter of time before Jacksonville also brings in a new defensive coordinator. It's already met with four candidates, as of this writing. Then again, one of them, Patrick Graham is staying with the Las Vegas Raiders after spending the last three years with them.

Why Jaguars fans must be fans Press Taylor is gone?

There are several reasons why the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to make the playoffs the past two years. Trent Baalke's inability to put together a Super Bowl team and his failure to get along with the coaching staff certainly played a part. Similarly, head coach Doug Pederson struggled to adjust his scheme and leaned too much on Press Taylor.

And that's the thing, Taylor became the Jacksonville offensive coordinator because of his relationship with Pederson rather than merit. Sure, his stint wasn't outright dreadful but it wasn't great either. In particular, he was unable to get the most out of Trevor Lawrence, who progressively got worse after playing like a top-10 quarterback in 2022.

In the same manner, Pederson and his right-hand man had a hard time figuring out how to use star receiver Brian Thomas Jr. early in his rookie campaign. To make matters worse, the head coach went out of his way to defend Taylor's subpar job, going as far as to throw players under the bus.

From an outside perspective, it's hard to tell just how popular or not Taylor was in the Jaguars HQ. However, he wasn't well-liked by fans or the media precisely because he wasn't good at his job. That's why nobody shed a tear when reports surfaced that he was leaving.

Now, it's great that Press Taylor found a new job. You never want to wish anybody bad things. That said, Jaguars fans are surely pleased that it's nowhere near Trevor Lawrence or Jacksonville.

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