The Jacksonville Jaguars arguably made the right call when they ousted head coach Doug Pederson. However, they shouldn't have stopped there. The Jags should've also gotten rid of general manager Trent Baalke instead of opting for a half-measure. After all, it could limit the scope of candidates for their opening. The Las Vegas Raiders seem to know that, which is why they chose to clean house.
One day after announcing they were firing head coach Antonio Pierce, the Raiders also announced that they'll also be dismissing general manager Tom Telesco.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 9, 2025
This comes as a bit of a surprise, as it didn't seem like they would be making that move. After all, Las Vegas had just hired both of them in 2024, so they appeared to be safe. Heck, Pierce spoke to reports after the season ended and talked about the future of the team as if he were to return. However, he ultimately got the boot and Telesco followed.
Following Telesco's outing, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Raiders parted ways with him because "ownership seems to prefer having the general manager and head coach more connected — like a cohesive partnership — rather than something that feels more arranged or forced."
From what I was told, Telesco was fired mostly because ownership seems to prefer having the general manager and head coach more connected—like a cohesive partnership—rather than something that feels more arranged or forced. Brady has lots of influence in Las Vegas.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 9, 2025
Conversely, the Jags have kept Baalke despite the fact that his presence could scare away potential candidates for their opening. One prominent coach said as much, noting that he's now less interested in the job because of the controversial general manager.
For his part, owner Shad Khan doesn't think Baalke will be a turnoff for potential candidates, arguing that the Jaguars are a desired landing spot because of their salary cap, and overall assets. Then again, he should most definitely take a page from the Raiders' playbook.
The Jaguars must fire Trent Baalke like the Raiders did with Tom Telesco
For the sake of transparency, the Las Vegas Raiders are far from a competent organization. You could even make the case that they mishandled the firings of Tom Telesco and Antonio Pierce. That said, they correctly identified that their general manager and head coach must be on the same page, something that may not be possible in Duval as long as Trent Baalke stays.
To Shad Khan's credit, he says he's willing to move on from Baalke if a candidate gives him a good reason. If that's the case and the Jaguars are really all-in on Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to fill their vacancy, they shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
On the other hand, it shouldn't have to come to that. While Khan fully trusts his general manager, Baalke got a less-than-stellar reputation around the league. Moreover, he got into a rift with the coaching staff last year. Who's to say he won't do the same with the next head coach?
This is a roundabout way to say that Khan should've given Baalke the pink slip when they let Pederson go.
The bottom line is that by moving on from Tom Telesco, the Las Vegas Raiders are giving themselves a good shot at acquiring their preferred candidate in his hiring cycle. The Jacksonville Jaguars should follow suit and do the same with Trent Baalke.