3 Most Overrated Jacksonville Jaguars of All Time, 1 HC makes the cut

No. 1 most overrated contributor in Jaguars history: Tom Coughlin

Ok, don't get too upset. If you haven't already had your feathers ruffled by the first two entries on this list, there's a fair chance this one does the trick. Here's the rationale:

This list is about overrated contributors to the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. A recent semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Tom Coughlin is often held aloft as one of the all-time great coaches in NFL history, so naturally he is held in that esteem by many, if not most Jaguars fans. But, the truth is, in terms of his contribution to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he is only in the Hall of Pretty Good.

Coughlin's greatest accomplishments were as a New York Giant, not a Jacksonville Jaguar. Fans and especially longer-tenured members of the media seem to want to lump those two New York Giants Super Bowls he won in with their evaluation of Tom Coughlin, the Jacksonville Jaguar.

But, if one removes those accomplishments with the Giants from his resume when evaluating his legacy as a Jaguar, one may realize that he was just a good coach who did an excellent job with an expansion team. He got them to two AFC championship games, which is not something to scoff at and is deserving of respect. He also returned as a vice president in the front office and to some level helped spur them to another AFC Championship game.

Coughlin's work with the Jay Fund is also important, and certainly relevant to the conversation. Even though it didn't directly show up as wins on the field, it certainly elevated the Jaguars franchise in terms of esteem.

But, really, that's it. He also left the franchise in shambles upon his departure in both his stints. The Jaguars can no more claim his Super Bowl victories than they can claim Doug Pederson's. Those accomplishments belong to New York and Philadelphia, not Jacksonville.

At the end of the day, all of these Jaguars occupy warm places in the hearts of Jaguars fans. This list is not meant to diminish their contributions, but instead, to contextualize where they stand in the history of the franchise. The Jaguars are about to take the next step in a new era that began last year. Here's to hoping that new all-time greats can establish themselves in the pantheon of Jaguars.