Trent Baalke served as Jacksonville Jaguars general manager for four seasons, during which the Jaguars went 25-43 and made the playoffs once.
Jacksonville fired head coach Doug Pederson after the end of this past NFL season, finishing 4-13. Initially, there were reports that the candidates for the Jaguars’ head coaching job did not want to work with Baalke, but the team owner decided to stick with the general manager.
However, after missing out on Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and potentially Liam Coen, the Jaguars franchise fired Baalke.
Jaguars Fans React to Team Firing Trent Baalke
The decision to fire Baalke came after Coen rejected the opportunity to become the Jaguars head coach and decided to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jaguars fans on social media celebrated the team’s decision to fire Baalke. Although the franchise’s decision came late, it’s still good for the Jaguars as they can now hire a good head coach for Trevor Lawrence.
Here are some of the reactions from fans on the Jaguars’ subreddit “r/Jaguars”:
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“Baalke fired after Glenn and Johnson signed elsewhere… stupidest owner in professional sports,” wrote a fan.
“Better late than never! Time to bring in Joe Brady!” said one fan.
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“HOLY S**T. LIAM COEN BELONGS IN THE RING OF HONOR,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “This is actually still a bad look for Shad [Shahid Khan] now that we missed on our top candidates LMAO. He kept Baalke until it was too late.”
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By firing Baalke, the Jaguars have opened doors for multiple candidates who will be willing to coach the team. Although Lawrence hasn’t become the player he was expected to be, considering how highly he was rated coming into the NFL, he is still a top quarterback in the league who can succeed with the right coach.
The Jaguars made the playoffs in Pederson’s first season with the team in 2022, but they have been on a downward trajectory since then. The team failed to make a run for the Super Bowl while Lawrence was on his rookie deal, and now that roster construction will be much more complex, the franchise wants a new head coach who can work with a general manager of his choice.
The Jaguars’ playing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL is also a good selling point for the franchise in its search for a head coach.
Top Remaining Candidates for the Jaguars’ HC Position
The Jaguars already have a good young quarterback on their team and great players like Brian Thomas Jr., Travon Walker, and Josh Hines-Allen. The AFC South franchise also has the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and is in a good place for the new regime to take over.
Here are the remaining top candidates for the Jaguars’ head coaching job:
- Joe Brady – Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
- Kellen Moore – Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator
- Robert Saleh – Former New York Jets head coach
The three candidates would be good hires for the team, but they should prioritize getting an offensive-minded head coach to further help Lawrence.
Getting Saleh will improve the team’s defense, which was the league’s fifth-worst in scoring this past season. However, as evidenced by his tenure with the Jets, the offense could struggle heavily, and the Jaguars cannot afford that while having a quarterback who makes $55 million annually.