OWNER SHAD KHAN AND GENERAL MANAGER TRENT BAALKE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2025
(Opening statement by Shad Khan)
SHAD KHAN: “I appreciate everyone assembling here on short notice. As you know, this
morning we announced my decision to begin a search for the new head coach of the
Jacksonville Jaguars. The announcement followed a very warm and positive discussion I
had with Doug [Head Coach Doug Pederson] this morning and also, obviously, last week
and over the last year. As difficult as the occasion was for both Doug and myself, it served a
reminder of Doug’s quality as a head coach and a person. There’s no doubt in my mind that
this is the time to make a change in the best interests of the football team, community and
especially our fans. But this decision doesn’t erase the fact that Doug did a lot of good
things here in Jacksonville. I have a lot of respect for Doug and will always be grateful for his
effort. Now, we’re in a moment of opportunity for the Jacksonville Jaguars. I am energized
by what is possible with all we have to offer our new head coach and look forward to a
process that’s already begun. So, with that, I’m happy to join and answer any questions.”
(On why he decided to fire Doug Pederson and retain Trent Baalke)
KHAN: “You know, Gene [Florida Times-Union columnist Gene Frenette], to use your
example, because I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have a lot of
things that are working, that can always be improved and will improve, and there are other
things that are not working that need to be fixed. So, the coaching, that is an area that we
need to fix now. But certainly, over the last few years, we built a football administration and
a lot of things are working well there.”
(On what specifically what it was about the coaching to make the move to fire Pederson)
KHAN: “If we go back, three years ago—or three seasons ago—obviously, we made the
playoffs, we’re in the division game. Last year, we started off 8-3 and then went 1-5, OK, we
didn’t make the playoffs. It was a winning season, but didn’t make the playoffs. After that, I
started, really, right in Nashville, sat down with Doug, ‘OK, what are we going to do?’ And he
identified, on the defensive side, we needed to change the staff and so on. As the season
progressed, obviously, we weren’t doing well. We were close like yesterday, but not close
enough to win the game. Then as I spoke to Doug, even last week for a good length of time, I
just came to the conclusion what we were doing was not working and a change in direction
was needed.”
(On if Baalke is surprised that he is still the general manager)
TRENT BAALKE: “I don’t know if ‘surprised’ is the right word. Ultimately, that’s not my
decision. That’s the decision of ownership. I certainly respect the decision that’s been
made and don’t take the job lightly. The real fact—the bottom line is we weren’t productive
on the field. We didn’t win enough games, and I don’t shy away from that. I’m just as
responsible as anybody else. All we can do now is roll up our sleeves and go to work.”
(On if Baalke was contemplating retirement)
BAALKE: “The only discussion I would have if I was going to have a discussion like that
would be with my wife. So, that’s not been on the table. I think when you’re in these jobs,
there’s a lot of thoughts that cross your mind. My focus is on getting this thing, this ship
righted. In order to do that, you’ve got to be fully in. You can’t have one foot in, one foot out,
and that’s what I intend to do.”
(On if Khan thinks this Jaguars team was the greatest assembled in team history and if he
places responsibility on Pederson for falling short of expectations)
KHAN: “We’re all in this together. So that includes me, obviously, includes Trent, includes
everyone on the football side. But I think it’s where we need the most change is, really, is on
the coaching side and that’s where we’re starting.”
(On if Khan considered a “complete overhaul” of the franchise before deciding to fire
Pederson)
KHAN: “Well, what is a ‘complete overhaul’ of the franchise? We have, I think if you look at
it, health and wellness, obviously, of the players; medical, statistics, analysis, scouting,
and, a number of other elements along with contract administration, all of those areas, we
have really changed, improved, certainly over the last four-five years. So, to change all of
that is almost, like, suicidal. You’ve got 85 people working on that side, and you say, ‘I’m
going to get rid of them and find 85 new people that are going to be better than that.’ You
know, that’s like shooting yourself in the foot. I mean, we need to go to work on something
that is broken, that needs to be fixed and continually be improving things that are working.”
(On if he is considering giving Baalke a contract extension)
KHAN: “I don’t think that’s really relevant. I think what’s important is the structure we have.
It worked, which is both Doug and Trent reporting to me. That way, if there are issues, that
can be addressed openly and honestly. I think Doug was there this morning at MEC [Miller
Electric Center], he spoke to the players. There’s no disharmony as far as that goes.
Whoever our new head coach is, it’s going to be my job similarly, our job is to support the
head coach. What Trent is doing, what I am doing, what the rest of the people are doing are
really service providers and serving the head coach to succeed.”
(On if there is any consideration on bringing in an executive vice president)
KHAN: “Well, it’s got to be the right person. Frankly, we need to add some people. We’re
lean, but if you look at the football side, we’ve added people, we’ve changed some people
and if we find the right person, definitely.”
(On what Baalke has done to give him confidence that this will work moving forward)
KHAN: “Well, I think if you look at the body of work, certainly over the last five years. You
look at the building blocks of players we have that we’re building the team around, you look
at your salary cap, you look at the number of draft picks we have now and also making sure
that our key players are getting paid. All of that has happened and we haven’t mortgaged a
future so to speak. Some of the decision-making, do we pay our players or let them walk
and then replace them with the draft and improve the players? That’s happened in the last
two drafts. Number one receiver and right tackle would be something that comes to mind
right away. So, I mean we can get into the granular things but overall, I think it’s pretty good.
But again, I think I want to go back to all of the stuff that’s been done, every player that
came in whether through the draft or free agency, wasn’t a person’s choice like Trent or
myself or the coach for that matter. It was a collaborative effort. What are the schemes?
What kind of players do we need? and so on. Things didn’t work out, it’s just not one
person.”
(On why Baalke thinks it didn’t work out and what he thinks is a quick fix moving forward)
BAALKE: “The first thing we have to do is identify who the head coach is and then bring in a
staff. As Shad mentioned, there’s a lot of good people in this building. From the coaches on
through personnel and all the support staff so we don’t need to fix everything we just need
to fix some things. I think identifying that person that can come in and then sit down with
the staff that we put together around him, and really take a look at the roster again. We do
this every year. Take a hard look at the roster, identify who the players are that you have to
put in a position to win games for you and then surround them the best you can with free
agents, and or draft picks. The process isn’t’ going to change, we just have to do things a
little different, a little better.”
(On whom outside of Baalke he leans on for football decisions)
KHAN: “Well, I think obviously Doug was. The coordinators were. So, a decision like Trevor
[QB Trevor Lawrence] for example, I believe in him but everyone whether it was a position
coach, offensive coordinator, everyone weighed in and it was very positive. Then, outside
the football building, I think Ethan [Assistant General Manager Ethan Waugh] is another
one, really competent. You’ve got analytics that gives you a measurement. We were I think
20th last year on the defensive side, we’re 32nd now. So, that right there kind of tells you
that in trying to get better we got much worse and that’s part of our problem. You don’t need
someone’s advice or sounding board to tell you that. I think those metrics kind of speak out
very loud. Then you end up with a network of not only other owners but some of the NFL
infrastructure too, to really get a sense and viewpoint of where things are.”
(On if Khan is worried that he won’t be able to have a full pool of coaching candidates if
they are not aligned with Baalke’s timeline)
KHAN: “No, not at all. I think we have a very compelling case on what we can offer the head
coach and you know that. I think the players, where we stand on our draft, our salary cap,
the city, the bricks and mortar, the facility and our division. It’s a very compelling case, but
like we did last time, the head coach needs to be comfortable with what we’re doing. Our
job is to be able to provide them with all the resources they want. So, we’ll go through that
process, and it’s got to work for them.”
(On if the next head coach will report directly to Khan)
KHAN: “Doug reported directly to me. So, really, that was, when we hired Doug, the
alignment of the process. That he was reporting to me and Trent was reporting to me. That’s
worked very well.”
(On what qualities he desires in the next head coach)
KHAN: “I think we want him to represent the city and the team, obviously, well. We want
him to win. Right now, we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball. Football,
to win, deception is a big part of it. Unpredictability. If you know exactly what we’re going to
do on offense or defense, you’d better have the 22 best players to help us win a football
game. So, being unpredictable is I think modern football, and we have to be able to show
that on the field.”
(On what Baalke believes will be different this time to ensure a successful partnership with
the next head coach)
BAALKE: “I think Doug and I were aligned. Very aligned. Very open and honest
conversations with Doug for three straight years. I don’t know that the marriage factor…
This is a situation where you go out and you pick the best person you can pick. You go to
work. You roll up your sleeves and go to work. Nobody has a crystal ball. Mistakes are made
all the time in this business, and you’ve got to self-correct. Doug and I enjoyed some really
good times here, and as Shad mentioned, that first year and a half, things were rolling and
there were a lot of good things that Doug brought to this. I don’t want to short sight that.
There were a lot of good things that Doug brought to this organization, and I certainly wish
him well and his family well as he moves forward. But now it’s about going onto the next
journey and trying to get this one right for the long haul. That’s not taking anything away
from what Doug accomplished here because again, I think if you look back, the things he
brought to this organization, a lot of positives, and I don’t want the fan base or anybody to
forget that.
(On Khan’s response to candidates potentially having reservations about having a general
manager already in place)
KHAN: “What do you mean by clean slate? If so, that’s the definition of a clean slate? What
we want to do is for them to have an environment where they’re going to be successful.
They say, ‘I want my own quarterback, I want my own health and wellness, I want my own
doctors.’ It’s like, you do that, unless they have identified—somebody wants to say that, I
would want to really go through that in depth. Because if we can get better, if they have a
better doctor… [Head Physician] Kevin Kaplan is among the top two or three best doctors in
the NFL, for example. Same thing, a lot of things we’re doing, I’d want to listen to them and
get better. If they have reservations, I would want to address them honestly and openly,
because our goal is they need to be successful. What do we have to give them to be
successful? Fear, preconceived notions, whatever, that really can inhibit the right
performance. But if they need something, I mean, obviously, we want to listen and we want
to improve. I know we can improve.”
(On if Khan expects the Jaguars’ turnaround to be brief)
KHAN: “I think so. If our defense would improve, get to the middle of the pack, we were
what, 2-10 this year [in one-score games]? How many of those games we could win? I think
the schemes on offense just being less predictable. I think we could be more productive on
offense. We have the ability through the Draft coming up and salary cap to be able to use
that to get more specific players we were seeking. I expect for us to have success very
quickly.”
(On what the interview timeline to fulfill coaching vacancy will be and if Baalke expects to
put in interview requests today)
BAALKE: “I think the short answer to that is yes. We’re going to move quickly to get some
people lined up to talk to. How long that process takes? I think Shad mentioned, it’s going
to take as long as it takes to identify the right individual. Is that one interview, is that two
interviews? I think we’re going to do our due diligence and be very thorough in this process.”
(On if the new head coach wanted to restructure the front office)
KHAN: “My response would be how would you improve it and then if it is credible, you want
to do it. How does the structure work? I want to make sure that this isn’t about ego or
power or something more sinister quite frankly. There have been some of those elements
that I have found in my experience in the NFL. If it’s a legit effort to get better, then
everything should be on the table.”
(On whom Khan leaned on for support in his decision to fire Pederson)
KHAN: “This is my decision. I think Bill Polian that you recommended, I have known him.
Obviously, he has served on various NFL committees over time. These wouldn’t be the kind
of things I would be talking to him (about)”
(On if Khan relied on anyone else when he came to his final decision)
KHAN: “This is my decision. I think I kind of articulated some of the reasons I think.”
(On if Baalke will lead the search for the next head coach)
KHAN: “I’m not sure what you mean by leading the search. We will put in our requests for
candidates and then interview them. We want them to interview us (and) what we have and
be open on how we can be better. Whether it’s organizationally, people, whatever. If it’s
legitimate and compelling, certainly I’m open to everything.”
(On if Khan believes this franchise has a clear understanding of what success looks like)
KHAN: “You’ve got to be shooting for the playoffs, I think, every year.”
(On if Baalke thinks the team is capable of making the playoffs in 2025)
BAALKE: “I do. I think when you look at where we were in ’22 leading into the ’22 season
and going from where we were in ’21 to ’22, I don’t think there’s any reason why we can’t
repeat that. I think there’s a lot of good young players on this team. There’s a lot to look
forward to, and the fan base deserves that. They deserve a winner. That’s what you set out
to do every day you wake up, come into the building. We’ve got a great group of people in
this building that have that mindset. I do think this thing can be flipped and be flipped
quick. Looking forward to getting the work on it.”
(On how influential QB Trevor Lawrence will be in coaching hiring decisions)
KHAN: “I talk to the players regularly. I don’t want to identify Trevor on anyone else by
name, but [I do] listen to what’s going to make them successful. But this isn’t, let’s be clear,
a second coming of [Jets QB] Aaron Rodgers 2.0. We’re going to do the right thing for the
team and obviously our goal is if Trevor doesn’t get better, if the other players don’t get
better, we’re not going to win. So, the coaches coming in know who our foundational
players are and have to be committed to making them better.”
(On whether Baalke is concerned about the number of season-ending injuries to starting
players)
BAALKE: “It’s always a concern when you have injuries. Some of them are unavoidable and
injury in this business is unavoidable. You have to be able to overcome those. When you
look at Detroit for instance, the number of injuries they’ve had this year and they’re able to
overcome them. We aren’t to that point. We need to get there. The players, when Shad
mentioned earlier about the health and wellness of the players and the group that we have
working with the players, it couldn’t be any better. We don’t have a lot of soft tissue
injuries. We don’t have a lot of minor things that take place. The injuries we do have are
unfortunate but they are a part of the business and you’ve just got to be able to overcome
them. I’m very confident in this group of players and very confident in the group that’s
working with these players to keep them healthy and keep them going.”
(On if Baalke believes WR Christian Kirk and TE Evan Engram will be back for the 2025
season)
BAALKE: “You know, again, I met with a lot of these players this morning. A lot of guys
stopped by after the team meeting and shared some thoughts with them as we move
forward, but there’s going to be time to process all this stuff. These guys are under contract.
They are committed to this organization. We’re going to first work on getting a new staff in
here, a new head coach, new leadership and then sit down with them and go through the
roster, every individual, their specific situation relative to contracts and everything else.
There’s a lot of things to process over the next couple of months as we move forward, but it
will all be done in due time.”
