The Jacksonville Jaguars have been in NFL purgatory for the longest time. Drafting a Heisman winner and surefire No. 1 overall pick in Trevor Lawrence seemed to be the remedy for their problems. And initially, it did appear that they were on the right track, with Lawrence orchestrating one of the largest comebacks in NFL playoff history.
However, in the two seasons since, Jacksonville’s trajectory has gone sideways. After a 9-8 season last year (started 8-3), the Jaguars have been abysmal this year, going 3-12 with two games remaining.
While Lawrence has been far from perfect, the team around him hasn’t seen much improvement either, with injuries forcing him out of action the last two years. With all the unrest in Jacksonville, legendary NFL coach and Super Bowl winner Jon Gruden had a hilarious but pointed message for the Jaguars and who was to blame for their struggles.
Jon Gruden Turns Christmas Grinch on the Jacksonville Jaguars
For most fans, the biggest culprit has been head coach Doug Pederson. Despite an adequately solid roster, Jacksonville hasn’t been able to string together victories, and a large part of the blame falls on his shoulders.
While inconsistency in play has been an issue for the Jaguars, decisions like going for a fourth down inside your own 30 in the fourth quarter with the lead on opening week were a recipe for disaster.
Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ franchise leader in wins believes the team’s construction and coaching are the major pieces of the problem.
Trying to spread Christmas joy, Gruden had a present for the Jacksonville fan base. With what he dubbed a Christmas carol, Gruden revealed the two people most responsible for the results, or lack thereof, in Duval.
“‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through Duval, the fans sat in silence, no cheering at all. On his yacht kismet, Shad (Khan) paced the deck, his team was adrift, his patience a wreck.
“While Trevor stood ready, so young and so bright, the staff held him back, this just wasn’t right. The fans roared with hope, clowns’ noses retired, as Trent (Baalke) and Doug had finally been fired.
“(Pete) Prisco stood stunned, his whining now done, as (Tony) Boselli proclaimed, ‘Duval’s time has begun.’ His eyes growing weary, his back getting tight, Shad whispered to JAX, ‘It’s time to unite.’ Merry Christmas to all and to Duval. Good night.”
Jon Gruden with a nice Christmas carol for Jags fans. Fire Doug and Trent! Merry Christmas, Duval! 🎅🏼 🌲 pic.twitter.com/kvNFLttmbG
— UCF Jaguar (@UCF_Jaguar) December 23, 2024
After back-to-back seasons of unmitigated failure, fans have completely turned their backs on both Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke. In the case of the former, his hiring was seen as a stroke of genius from the organization, particularly as someone to mentor Lawrence early in his career.
While it did show immediate promise, as the Jags made it to the playoffs and even got a win as mentioned above in Year 1, the story has been disastrously different since then.
Last year, Jacksonville lost five straight down the stretch and fumbled away the division. A strong start this year could have negated that as a by-product of the injury to Lawrence, but Jacksonville was the last winless team during the year and is currently a favorite for the No. 1 overall pick.
Unfortunately, with an eye for contending after giving Lawrence a $275 million contract, the results don’t align with Jacksonville’s plans.
Speaking of Lawrence’s contract, that is where the finger of blame turns towards Baalke. Giving Lawrence the hefty price tag felt like an oversight at the time, and is looking worse day by day.
However, Baalke’s biggest mistake might have been in the 2022 NFL Draft when Jacksonville again had the No. 1 pick. Rather than taking Aidan Hutchinson, who has been a menace for the Detroit Lions year after year, Baalke took EDGE Travon Walker.
The expectation for the Jaguars going into this season was a strong playoff run, at the very least. Owner Shad Khan went so far as to call this team their “best team assembled” in lieu of additions like Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, and Arik Armstead.
But with the results failing to meet expectations, both Baalke and Pederson are on the hot seat. Let’s see if Gruden’s words finally break through Khan and if some managerial changes happen in Duval.