The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off two disappointing seasons. They hope Liam Coen, their new head coach can change that.
One of the hottest coordinators in this hiring cycle, Coen got the spotlight last year because of his work as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator. Just recently, Hall-of-Fame offensive tackle Tony Boselli talked about the expectations for the Jags' head coach.
Boselli made an appearance on 1010XL and said he expects the Jags to be competing for a playoff spot and seeding late in the season, noting that Coen has ample talent to work with.
"This was consistent throughout the whole process. And I think this was our mindset going into it. This is not, we're not hiring a coach to come rebuild," Boselli said. "This is not a rebuild. We have some holes, but we have talent, and we were not a four-win roster, right? And so the expectation is we're hiring a coach to come get it right, cleaned up, fixed it, and we expect to be with we expect to win the division next year."
Boselli continued, "We expect in December, my expectation — I won't speak for anyone else. Shad, he'll talk about what his views are — my expectation and my view is next December we should be playing football games to win the division and talk about seating. That's what that's where we should be. That's our talent level, our team. We should be in December playing games that are trying to win the division and talk about playoff positioning."
The Jags went to the playoffs in 2022 and had a strong chance to qualify the following year after an 8-3 start. However, they went on to lose five of their last six games and didn't get in. Following a disappointing 2023, Jacksonville was expected to bounce back last year but instead sank even lower, finishing 3-14.
Not surprisingly, head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke (a couple weeks later) got the boot. After an exhaustive search, the Jags hired Coen to replace Pederson, and Ethan Waugh is serving as the interim while they find a full-time general manager. Below is Boselli's full exchange on 1010 XL.
The Jaguars and Liam Coen do have enough talent to make the playoffs in 2025
It would be understandable if you scoff at the idea of the Jacksonville Jaguars making the playoffs next season. After all, they've gotten progressively worse the last two years. Moreover, they have several needs to address, including right guard, safety, cornerback, and the wide receiver corps. That said, Liam Coen will also have ample talent at his disposal.
Trevor Lawrence was inconsistent last year, but he's shown he can play like a top-10 quarterback. He'll need to stay healthy, and his supporting cast could use upgrades. That said, fellow signal-caller Baker Mayfield had a career season under Coen in 2024, and he could have a similar impact for No. 16 next year.
Aside from Lawrence, Coan will be working with Offensive Rookie of the Year Finalist Brian Thomas Jr., wide receiver Parker Washington, and tight ends Evan Engram and Brenton Strange. But Coen's stamp will probably be felt the most in the running game, the area where the Buccaneers improved the most last year, going from 32nd in rushing yards in 2023 to No. 4 last season.
On defense, the Jaguars have bookend pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, cornerback Tyson Campbell, and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun. Granted, they also have a few holes, but Jacksonville can compete in the AFC South right off the bat if it plays its cards right.
The bottom line is that a trip to the playoffs is feasible in Liam Coen's first year at the helm. His predecessor accomplished the feat, and he'll have a realistic chance to pull it off.