You never know how things are going to play out but the Jacksonville Jaguars appear to have a realistic chance to land Ben Johnson. They had a young quarterback in place, and the resources to turn the roster. Moreover, there was mutual interest. However, the crown jewel of this hiring cycle ended up choosing the Chicago Bears, and an NFL insider outlined the reason why.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Johnson didn't think the Jaguars had a setup that was in line with what he was looking for in his first head-coaching job.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were also interested in Ben Johnson but I'm told the setup wasn't in line with what he was looking for in his first head coaching job.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 20, 2025
In a different tweet, Russini points out that Johnson chose Chicago because of quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were also interested in Ben Johnson but I'm told the setup wasn't in line with what he was looking for in his first head coaching job.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 20, 2025
But the Jags also had the quarterback. Moreover, they have a more talented roster, so what exactly did the Bears offer that Jacksonville didn't? A front office that allowed him to implement his vision.
Johnson had made it abundantly clear that he wanted to work with a general manager who shared his vision, and the presence of Trent Baalke in Jacksonville might've deterred him from taking the job. Heck, he didn't even take a seconod meeting with the Jags because he knew they weren't going to accomodate his asks.
It's worth noting that early in the coaching cycle, a prominent candidate for the Jaguars job stated that he was less interested in their vacancy because of Trent Baalke. It looks like Johnson felt the same way, and it's easy to understand why.
Baalke has a less-than-ideal reputation around the league. He had a solid, but not great, track record in the draft, but he isn't worth the headache. Throughout his stint in Jacksonville, he feuded with the coaching staff. Things weren't much different with Jim Harbaugh when he was the general manager for the San Francisco 49ers.
Not many head coaches would willingly subject themselves to that kind of working enviroment. Johnson definitely didn't.
Trent Baalke will remain a problem as long as the Jaguars keep him around
The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows when they chose to dismiss head coach Doug Pederson but retained Trent Baalke. After all, the general manager was as responsible for the team's failures the past two seasons. Yet, only the head coach got the boot.
The Jags are set to interview three candidates for their vacancy: Patrick Graham, Robert Saleh, and Liam Coen. Maybe all three don't mind working with Baalke and are willing to embrace a collaborative effort with him. The issue is that Pederson was also fine with him early in his tenure but their relationship progressively soured. Something similar could happen with their next head coach.
You could argue that things will be different this time. That Baalke will finally find someone he's comfortable working with. However, there's also a realistic chance that it will be the same again. He's the same he was during his time with the 49ers and appears to have owner Shad Khan's ear. What incentive would he have to chance?
The bottom line is that Doug Pederson is gone, but the Jacksonville Jaguars won't be able to get over the hump as long as Trent Baalke is around.