The Jacksonville Jaguars' impending firing of head coach Doug Pederson is currently the worst-kept secret in professional football, as evidenced by the club's franchise-worst 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. In a season that began with owner Shahid Khan calling this team the most talented in franchise history, the Jaguars are now 2-9 and heading into an off week.
If and when Pederson is fired, some in the NFL believe embattled general manager Trent Baalke could remain with the franchise as a package deal with new head coach Bill Belichick. That's what Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported on NBC's pregame show on Sunday evening.
Mike Florio reports on Football Night in America that Jaguars GM Trent Baalke could keep his job into next season... and be joined "as part of a package deal" in Jacksonville by Bill Belichick as the new head coach. #NFL pic.twitter.com/qTeYx5pa0O
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 18, 2024
"Worked with" is doing Olympic-level lifting there. Baalke was a scout with the New York Jets for Belichick's final two seasons as defensive coordinator there, but that's it. Baalke was in his late 20s getting his feet wet in his first job in professional football, Belichick was in his late 40s and working at Bill Parcells's right hand while preparing for another run at a head coaching position. Perhaps that was enough for Baalke and Belichick to form an everlasting bond despite their age and career differences, or perhaps not. Either way, they haven't worked together in the quarter century since.
On the surface, this feels like a Hail Mary by Baalke's camp to hang on to his position.
Baalke's first big move upon taking the Jags GM job in 2021 was to hire Urban Meyer. That 13-game tenure will go down as one of the biggest and most foreseeable flameouts in NFL history. Pederson took the Jags to the playoffs in his first year on the job, but the team went 9-8 again while missing the playoffs in 2023 and now sit at 2-9.
Either way, Belichick's return to the NFL feels imminent. Citing a source close to the 6-time Super Bowl winner, The Athletic reported Saturday, “Coaching is in his blood. He wants this."
Perhaps Jacksonville wants to get first in line to bring the 72-year-old back to the NFL, or perhaps Baalke feels his future in Jacksonville hinges on attaching himself to Belichick.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.