It's me or him: Only one Jaguars coaching candidate has the gall to take out Trent Baalke

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in an interesting position. They need a new head coach after they parted ways with Doug Pederson. But they also retained Trent Baalke as general manager. The understanding is that the new head coach is going to have to work with Baalke. 

That is, unless the right coach comes along. Is there anyone out there who would be able to convince the Jaguars to cut Baalke loose? The only coach who might have that power is Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, though that’s a long shot. 

According to an ESPN+ story, Baalke has been active in the coaching search, and the current crop of coaches don’t have the power to dictate whether Baalke stays or not if they get hired. Which means the Jaguars have to make a decision. 

How important is Baalke to the next phase of the Jaguars pursuit to improving? They have to decide if keeping him is worth missing out on a Ben Johnson-level coach who could help them compete in the AFC South, which is arguably the most wide open division in the league. 

Jacksonville Jaguars loyalty to Trent Baalke could cost them a Ben Johnson-level coach

The Jaguars would only have themselves to blame if they manage to let Johnson walk because he wants his own GM. Johnson has been that good of an offensive coordinator with the Lions. If they fail to hire him simply because he wants his own general manager, that’s the Jags’ own fault. 

Since Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator, the Lions have had a top-five offense in the NFL. This season, they evolved into an NFL masterclass when it comes to competitive offenses. They were No. 1 in points per game and No. 2 in yards. 

Why would the Jaguars pass up on that for something as simple as cleaning house and revamping? Especially when you look at the roster the Jaguars have. They may not be as talented as the Lions, but it’s a great foundation for Johnson to work with. 

With Trevor Lawrence, two 500-plus yard rushers, Brian Thomas Jr. at wide receiver and Christian Kirk coming back healthy next year, that’s a lot of weapons at Johnson’s disposal. 

It would be ignorant to let Baalke get in the way of that, especially when he’ll be dealing with his third coach since taking over as full time general manager in 2021. 

The Jaguars can’t mess this up. If they’re really considering Johnson and he’s more interested in Jacksonville over Chicago (the other team he has drawn a lot of interest from), they need to do everything they can to get him. 

Johnson has already made it known he’s not leaving for any job, only the right one. So if he’s not hired this cycle, it could be the Jaguars’ only chance at landing an offensive-minded coach that could truly get them back to winning.