The Jacksonville Jaguars have made the playoffs three times dating back to 2017. The trouble is that two of those times they've regressed. Coming off an impressive season that culminated with a trip to the postseason and a division title, the Jags are trying to avoid the same fate. Owner Shad Khan believes they will because of the leadership in place.
Last year, Khan hired Liam Coen and James Gladstone as the head coach and the general manager, respectively. On top of that, he brought in franchise legend Tony Boselli to serve as the vice president of football operations. Together, the trio oversaw a massive turnaround, and Khan is confident they'll pick up where they left off.
Shad Khan believes Liam Coen and James Gladstone will get the Jaguars over the hump
Shad Khan had an exchange with Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union and expressed confidence in the Jaguars' leadership group, pointing out that the team is in a position to take a step forward due to the presence of James Gladstone, Liam Coen, and Tony Boselli.
"Definitely a new level (of performance)," Khan told O'Halloran. "Up, close and personal, you can't ask for anything more in how they supplement each other and help each other be better and hold each other accountable on whatever is necessary. Their contributions and how the whole set-up is (with an executive vice president) and the facilities we have and obviously our great players, they're taking us to the next level."
Khan also says that the Jaguars have learned from the previous instances in which they had success but couldn't sustain it.
"We've had two instances when we had some success, and then, boom. Certainly, I've learned from those (seasons), what happened and why it happened. We got comfortable and complacent thinking, 'We're there, and now we can go into cruise control. This is a competitive league, and it doesn't matter what your record was last year, you're all starting from the bottom in how you construct the team and you need to have the motivation and desire," Khan said.
Before 2025, the last time Jacksonville made the playoffs was in 2022. The following season, the Jags started 8-3 before losing five of their last six games. Similarly, they reached the AFC Championship in 2017 but went 5-11 the following year.
What makes this Jaguars team different is that there's a new leadership group in place. Liam Coen has already made it clear that last year is in the books, and Jacksonville will need to do it all over again in 2026. James Gladstone, for his part, is avoiding many of the miscues that held his predecessor, Trent Baalke, back.
Specifically, Gladstone is putting an emphasis on building through the draft and using free agency as a supplementary tool rather than the principal means to acquire talent. You could make the case that former Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell made a similar mistake during his stint in the 2010s.
Fast forward to 2026, and the current Jaguars' brass is looking to buck the trend.
The Jaguars are facing a new set of challenges in 2026
Last year, Liam Coen and James Gladstone held their respective positions for the first time, so they had to deal with the challenges that come with it. They'll surely have a better hold going into the 2026 season, but both of them will have to clear a new set of hurdles.
Coen will need to get the most out of his team once again. That shouldn't be difficult, but other teams in the AFC have improved in the offseason, so repeating as division champs won't be a walk in the park. Gladstone, for his part, will need to replenish the roster, and he'll have to do it without a first-round pick and after barely spending in free agency.
Working in their favor is that Coen and Gladstone have an owner in Shad Khan who is willing to give them the tools to succeed.
Then again, Shad Khan will give Liam Coen and James Gladstone everything they need precisely because they saw what they accomplished in their first season with the Jaguars. Rightly, he's excited about the future.