Liam Coen Fallout: Jags, Bucs, Baalke, Bowles, Contract, Glazers, Rooney Rule
As the Buccaneers become the first team to lose their offensive coordinator in back-to-back years since the 2013-14 Ravens, that development came after it initially looked like the NFC South team had reached an agreement to retain Liam Coen. A Jaguars front office decision certainly looks to have changed Coen’s plans.
When the Jaguars fired Trent Baalke not long after Coen declined a second interview, the AFC South club contacted its top candidate and asked he would reconsider in light of the GM shakeup, according to ESPN.com. Baalke’s presence was believed to be a deterrent for certain coaching candidates this year, and while Coen was among them, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco indicates the GM was not the main reason Coen initially declined a Jags second meeting. That said, Coen’s Wednesday call “embarrassed” the Jaguars, who abruptly changed course as a result.
Upon firing Doug Pederson on Jan. 6, Shad Khan called a full-on overhaul — which a Baalke ouster would have meant — “suicide” for the organization. Yet, barely two weeks later, he was gone. The Jags had seen Ben Johnson express issues with their setup, as Baalke was running a search that could have ended with him out the door — depending on the hire. That undoubtedly would have influenced the four-year Jags GM to go in certain, safe directions. Instead, he is out and Coen will now have a major say in who replaces the embattled exec.
Coen told GM Jason Licht he sought a record-breaking OC sum to stay in charge on offense, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes, with Fox Sports’ Greg Auman indicating the Bucs were prepared to pay him would close to $4.5MM per year. We heard Wednesday the number would have been in the Vic Fangio neighborhood among top coordinator salaries. Coen will make much more with the Jags, who have been tied to authorizing “Johnson-level money.” Bucs ownership approved Coen’s raise but did not with to continue a negotiating battle with their one-year OC, Breer adds. Though, the sides were not done talking money.
The initial Tampa Bay offer emerged before Coen’s virtual interview with the Jaguars, which the Glazer family encouraged him to take. Bucs ownership, however, said its offer to Coen was contingent on him not taking a second Jaguars interview. (However, even had Coen signed a Bucs contract, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio adds NFL rules would have prevented the Bucs from blocking any further Jags meetings.)
Certainly realizing he had a great chance at the Jags job, Coen again asked the Bucs for more money. Tampa Bay ownership responded, per Breer, by confirming no additional raise would come. Although the Bucs wanted a Coen answer on their initial proposal by Monday, he stalled until Wednesday. During that wait, a report indicated the Bucs were prepared to lose Coen. Though, this was all before the Jags’ Baalke decision. Baalke’s previous presence in Jacksonville looks to have kept Tampa Bay’s offer to Coen viable.
Coen, 39, informed the Bucs he was staying and would sign an extension. That did not deter the Jags, who were the only team believed to be seriously considering Coen. This would have stood to limit Coen’s leverage. After all, he has not stayed with the same employer since the 2018-20 seasons, his first stint with the Rams, and his Rams OC stay did not go well in 2022. The Cowboys, Raiders and Saints did not interview Coen. But the Bucs talks doubled as his other option, strengthening his stance in this Florida battle.
Reports Thursday indicated the Bucs were unable to reach Coen, who was to sign the deal Wednesday afternoon, but he asked Licht if he could instead do so Thursday. By Thursday morning, the Bucs had not heard from him. Assistant GM Mike Greenberg contacted Coen about the contract of another offensive assistant. That call went unanswered, as did Licht and Todd Bowles efforts to reach the 2024 Bucs OC, per Breer, who adds Coen’s agent then informed the Bucs his client was dealing with a personal matter. After more Bucs attempts to reach Coen failed, he told Bowles of the personal matter Thursday afternoon while also informing his boss he was still considering the Jacksonville job. A Jags source then tipped off the Bucs Coen was in Jacksonville.
This component does not exactly make Coen’s handling of the situation look great, though Breer indicates the Jags wanted Coen to keep his belated Duval County visit secret. But he has successfully moved up the coaching ladder — albeit in a roundabout manner — with the extraordinarily rare chance as a rookie HC to effectively choose his GM. Kyle Shanahan had this opportunity in 2017, but he had certainly climbed to a higher NFL perch by the time the 49ers gave him that power. Coen is a two-time NFL OC, though the ex-Sean McVay hire only has two years on the job (and two more in college, at Kentucky).
Coen’s delay also gave the Jaguars the chance to meet the Rooney Rule requirement. They had interviewed multiple minority candidates already, but only one of those meetings (Robert Saleh‘s) was in-person. While Coen was negotiating, the Jags met with Raiders DC Patrick Graham, who could have canceled his meeting had word of the Coen talks leaked.
This also does not shine a good light on Jacksonville’s search, but this is hardly the only team to use the Rooney Rule as a box to check rather than giving strong consideration to hiring a minority candidate. Saleh’s second interview never happened, as the Coen matter moved toward the goal line, and the former is now back with the 49ers as DC.
Despite Coen’s uneven resume, many within the Bucs organization viewed him as HC-ready, ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington tweets. In fact, Darlington adds that a scenario in which the team fired Bowles and promoted Coen was believed to have been in play if Week 18 had ended without a playoff qualification. This would have reminded of the Bucs’ decision to fire Lovie Smith and promote his OC (Dirk Koetter) in 2017. The Bucs also promoted from within to fill their current HC job, with Bruce Arians‘ resignation elevating Bowles, who is now looking for a new play-caller yet again.
Bowles has dodged firing rumors for years now, having mounted charges to the NFC South title in each of the past two after hanging on to secure the Bucs a playoff home game in Tom Brady‘s final season. The Bowles part of this messy divorce makes his status worth monitoring next season, but for now, he will set his sights on another OC search.
49ers Hire Robert Saleh As DC
It’s now official: Robert Saleh is heading back to San Francisco. After reports from Matt Barrows, Michael Silver and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic that Saleh was expected to join the 49ers as their defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network officially delivered the news tonight that Saleh will call the defense in the Bay Area, once again. 
The report came as a result of the Cowboys hiring of their former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as their head coach. Saleh had interviewed for three head coaching positions but had committed to head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch that, should be not get another head coaching job, he would return to San Francisco as defensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. With his last opportunity for a job this cycle gone, his decision was made.
A reunion with Saleh always seemed like the likeliest outcome as the 49ers sought a replacement for Nick Sorensen. While Saleh interviewed for jobs with the Cowboys and Raiders, his main shot at immediately returning to the HC role appeared to be with the Jaguars. However, that situation took a major turn when Liam Coen reentered the sweepstakes and won the job. Saleh was set to meet with the Jaguars for a second interview, but the coach cancelled his flight after learning about the Coen news.
Following the news, the veteran coach was expected to land back in San Francisco, where he first earned a reputation as one of the league’s top defensive minds. Saleh spent four years as the 49ers defensive coordinator, and he quickly elevated his unit to one of the best in the NFL. The coach parlayed that performance into a head coaching job with the Jets, and he admirably lasted three-plus seasons in New York despite never finishing with a winning record. When he was canned midway through the 2024 season, Saleh had put together a 20-36 record as head coach.
Since the 49ers decided to move Sorensen off of his DC post earlier this offseason, Saleh had been a popular name for the vacancy. The 49ers have actually kept their search relatively small, as Saleh was only joined by 49ers assistant head coach Brandon Staley and Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend on the list of candidates. Still, considering Saleh’s prior relationship and success with the organization, he always seemed like the front runner.
It sounds like Saleh won’t request many sweeping changes to the defensive coaching staff. As The Athletic notes, many of his top lieutenants are still in San Francisco, including defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, linebackers coach Johnny Holland, and defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/24/25
Friday’s reserve/futures deals:
Carolina Panthers
- DT Jerrod Clark
Houston Texans
- G Jerome Carvin, WR Kearis Jackson
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Ajou Ajou
Ajou was a strong high school recruit whose collegiate career didn’t amount to much in two years at Clemson, a season at South Florida, and a season at Garden City CC. After going undrafted, he spent 2024 in the Canadian Football League, where he collected 20 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Bears Hire Two New Assistant Coaches
Ben Johnson has been working quickly to assemble a new staff in Chicago. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears‘ new head coach has even contributed to the continued dissolution of the Lions‘ coaching staff, hiring Antwaan Randle El as the team’s new assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. Schefter adds that, while the Bears are still working to fill their defensive coordinator position, Johnson has already poached Cowboys defensive backs coach Al Harris to take the role of defensive pass-game coordinator and defensive backs coach in Chicago. 
Randle El, a fairly successful former NFL receiver who made his mark as a return man, retired as a player back in 2011, taking a job as the athletic director at a Christian high school in Virginia that he helped found a few years later. In 2019, Randle El made a return to the NFL as an offensive assistant on the Buccaneers, winning a Super Bowl ring as a coach while assisting his former wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay.
In 2021, Randle El was hired under Dan Campbell as the wide receivers coach in Detroit. He’s built a reliable stable for the Lions, forming then-fourth-round rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown into a star wideout, helping first-round receiver Jameson Williams navigate his way back from a nasty torn ACL suffered in his final collegiate game, and helping players like Josh Reynolds, Tim Patrick, and Kalif Raymond make big supportive impacts in Detroit. He’ll now follow Johnson to Chicago, where he’ll inherit a corps that loses Keenan Allen but returns a talented duo in D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze.
It’s strange to see a defensive position coach get hired before a defensive coordinator, but it’s certainly understandable for Harris, who makes a long-awaited return to the NFC North after spending eight years of his 14-year playing career as a Packer. The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback will take the new position in Chicago after five years in Dallas as defensive backs coach (with one of those years also giving him the title of assistant head coach).
Harris’ coaching career started in Kansas City where he worked with a secondary that included Eric Berry, Sean Smith, Brandon Flowers, and Husain Abdullah. His focus on the staff eventually shifted more specifically to cornerbacks as he worked with Smith, Marcus Peters, Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller, and Orlando Scandrick. After a year as a defensive assistant at Florida Atlantic University, he joined the Cowboys staff as defensive backs coach, where he mentored stars like Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland, and several other impact starters. Harris inherits a talented group in Chicago that stars Kevin Byard and features Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, and Jaquan Brisker.
Johnson will continue to build out his staff, with former Saints head coach Dennis Allen being mentioned recently as a strong possibility to fill the defensive coordinator role. Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle has also been linked to the new Chicago staff. While he hasn’t coached with Johnson, Doyle worked with Campbell during their four years together in New Orleans. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears “would likely have to give him the (offensive coordinator) title to get him out of Denver,” which may not be very likely. In two years in his current role, Doyle’s tight ends have combined for only 845 yards and nine touchdowns over the two-season span, with no one getting more than 204 yards or three touchdowns.
Johnson was a highly touted head coach prospect, and he’s quickly building a talented staff of popular names around him. Bringing in accomplished position coaches who have formed incredible position groups over the last several years marks a strong start to his first NFL coaching gig. Bears assistants recently announced as not expected to return under Johnson include defensive backs coach Jon Hoke and running backs coach Chad Morton., per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. They follow in the footsteps of former passing game coordinator/interim offensive coordinator/interim head coach Thomas Brown and former defensive coordinator Eric Washington, who were previously reported as not returning.
Lions To Promote OL Coach Hank Fraley
Hank Fraley is out of the Seahawks’ OC search. As the Lions grapple with losing both their coordinators and their D-line coach, they will retain their O-line leader. It will take a promotion to ensure that happens.
The Lions will add a run-game coordinator bump to their O-line coach’s title, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will ensure Fraley stays in charge of one of the NFL’s top O-lines, and it takes a name out of consideration for the Seahawks. The Lions had lost Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and Terrell Williams this week.
Fraley’s wife, Danielle, initially broke the news her husband would be staying. Danielle Fraley mentioned Chicago as a rumored destination, which would have made sense given that Johnson is now running the show there. But Hank Fraley will continue for an eighth season in Detroit. He had joined Johnson in arriving under Matt Patricia, though Fraley has been in Detroit longer — since 2018. The Lions had hired him as their assistant O-line coach, before promoting him in 2020. Fraley has overseen one of the NFL’s top blocking groups since.
The Seahawks met with Fraley twice about potentially replacing Ryan Grubb; the second meeting took place in-person earlier this week. Seattle has Klint Kubiak and Vikings assistant Grant Udinski as its other present finalists. Both Kubiak and Udinski met about the job January 17. This Seahawks process is now dragging a bit, and it will be interesting to see whether the team chooses between the Saints and Vikings staffers soon or adds another finalist.
Fraley has been Detroit’s O-line coach throughout All-Pro Penei Sewell‘s career, and Frank Ragnow has been a regular Pro Bowler under Fraley. The Lions also saw Graham Glasgow rediscover his best form when back with Fraley, after he had struggled to justify a Broncos free agency deal. While Dan Campbell has plenty of work to do elsewhere on his staff, he will not need to worry about his O-line setup for the time being.
It is a bit interesting the Lions did not need to dangle the OC title for Fraley to stay, but with no known interviews commencing, the team would have needed to comply with the Rooney Rule to make that happen. That would mean one external minority is interviewed. Fraley will be set to be a top lieutenant under Detroit’s to-be-determined next play-caller.
Elsewhere on the Lions’ staff, Campbell has added a replacement for Williams. Kacy Rodgers, whose Buccaneers contract had expired, will take over as D-line coach, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Rodgers had interviewed for the Packers’ job as well. Rodgers, 55, had worked under Todd Bowles for the past 10 seasons, moving from Jets DC to Bucs D-line coach. The 55-year-old assistant has been in the NFL since 2003. Notably, Rodgers’ first NFL gig — as Cowboys DTs coach from 2003-04 — overlapped with Campbell’s time as a Dallas tight end. Rodgers moved up to Cowboys D-line coach during Campbell’s final Dallas season (2005).
Patriots’ Jabrill Peppers Acquitted Of Domestic Violence Charges
The legal proceedings surrounding Jabrill Peppers have come to an end. A jury in Quincy District Court acquitted the Patriots safety on domestic violence charges Friday.
Peppers testified in the trial on Friday before the case wrapped up. As detailed by Nick Stoico of the Boston Globe, the jury deliberated for a little over one hour before delivering the not guilty verdict. Peppers had faced charges of strangulation, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery on a family or household member.
Shortly after Peppers’ arrest in October in relation to the incident — during which he was alleged to have choked, hit, and shoved a woman down a set of stairs — he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. The woman had identified herself as Peppers’ on-and-off girlfriend; the arrest occurred shortly after Peppers’ 29th birthday. Placement on the exempt list is commonplace in the case of domestic violence cases, with a six-game length being considered the standard. After seven missed contests, Peppers was taken off the list.
Peppers’ testimony included a denial of the woman’s claims, although he did admit on Thursday to cocaine possession. That charge has been continued without finding, meaning that without further incident for a period of four months it will be dropped. While the woman in question has also filed a civil suit against Peppers for $9.5MM, his attention will now turn back to his status with the Patriots.
Robert Kraft had said the Patriots conducted their own investigation, adding that if the initial report turned out to be true the team would have cut Peppers. The eight-year veteran returning to play in two games before season’s end provided a reasonable indication the Pats did not conclude the initial allegations against him were entirely accurate, but the former Browns and Giants defender may not be out of the woods yet.
NFL suspensions are not entirely contingent on convictions, as many recent examples have shown. Peppers could still face league discipline, which would put his 2025 guarantees in jeopardy. The Michigan alum’s three-year, $25MM extension — one of many Eliot Wolf greenlit for Bill Belichick-era acquisitions in 2024 — calls for $2.5MM of Peppers’ $4.5MM 2025 base salary to be guaranteed.
A suspension would void the $2.5MM number, giving the Pats a clearer path to a smooth release. If Peppers is banned, only his $4.5MM in prorated bonus money would count as dead cap in the event of a release. Still, Peppers’ extension years have not yet begun. It would represent a notable miss on the Wolf-led regime’s part if a release occurred before he played in 2025.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Nick Caley Top Jets OC Candidate?
The Jets filled their head coaching vacancy this week by hiring Aaron Glenn. One of the next major dominoes to fall on the sidelines will be his choice for offensive coordinator. 
[RELATED: Jets To Hire Darren Mougey As GM]
Prior to the Glenn hire being made official, a list of candidates to watch emerged on both sides of the ball. With respect to the OC position, Nick Caley was among them and to no surprise that is still the case at this point. Caley is the leading candidate to take over New York’s offense, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.
The 42-year-old began coaching in 2005, ultimately working at seven different college programs. Caley’s first NFL opportunity came with the Patriots, and beginning in 2017 he served as the team’s tight ends coach. His eight-year New England tenure ended in 2023 when he was hired by the Rams to fill the same role.
For this past campaign, Caley remained in that capacity while also holding the title of pass game coordinator. Los Angeles ranked 10th in terms of production through the air this season, and Tyler Higbee‘s absence for much of the campaign left Colby Parkinson atop the team’s tight end depth chart. Caley helped the former Seahawk set a new career high in receptions and yards in 2024.
In the event he were to join Glenn’s staff in New York, Caley would take on play-calling responsibilities for the first time in his career. Considering Glenn is a rookie head coach, such a setup would carry a notable degree of risk. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if Caley does indeed wind up with the Jets as they look to find better success than Nathaniel Hackett (and, later, Todd Downing) could deliver last season.
Via PFR’s OC/DC tracker, here is an update look at the Jets’ search process:
- Mark Brunell, quarterbacks coach (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Nick Caley, tight ends coach (Rams): Mentioned as candidate; frontrunner?
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Saints): Mentioned as candidate
- Scott Turner, interim offensive coordinator (Raiders): Mentioned as candidate
Rams Seeking Clarity On Matthew Stafford’s Playing Future
In the immediate aftermath of the Rams’ divisional round loss, Matthew Stafford was asked about his intentions moving forward. He did not confirm he will play in 2025, although his evaluation of his performance suggested the Super Bowl winner feels he can still provide high-end play at this stage of his career. 
Stafford is on the books for the next two seasons, but over that span his only guaranteed compensation currently scheduled comes from roster bonuses totaling $9MM. Last offseason, team and player worked out a restructure which enhanced his 2024 earnings but confirmed that a year-to-year approach would be in place. A quicker resolution this time around is being targeted.
“We don’t want to have that go on again,” head coach Sean McVay said in reference to last summer’s contract talks (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop). “I think sooner than later, being able to get that clarity. Understanding clear, open and honest communication. I think there’s a lot of love coming from our part. I think there’s a lot of appreciation coming from his part as well. And I think a lot sooner than later is an ideal scenario.”
Stafford – who played through four cracked ribs during the latter part of the regular season through the playoffs – will be 37 by the start of the 2025 campaign. The former No. 1 pick posted a 93.7 passer rating this past season, roughly in line with his four-year average with the Rams. He would be expected to remain a dependable starter if healthy moving forward, but if retirement becomes a serious consideration the Rams will of course need to make moves at the quarterback position.
Even if Stafford decides to remain in place for next year (something McVay would be on board with), Los Angeles’ lack of a clear successor under center is a notable issue. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is a pending free agent, and a departure on his part this spring would create the need for at least a new high-floor QB2 in 2025. Former fourth-rounder Stetson Bennett remains attached to his rookie contract, but he has yet to play a snap in the regular season.
Given the list of quarterbacks set to be on the market (via free agency or trade) and the fact the Rams are slated to pick 26th in April’s draft, an obvious replacement for Stafford does not exist at this point. One still may not be needed for 2025, but the team will not be able to pivot to other offseason priorities until his future becomes certain.
Titans GM: Team Open To Trading No. 1 Pick
Mike Borgonzi is now in place as the Titans’ general manager, and while his authority will not reach the level of many of his colleagues around the league, he will have an interesting decision to make early in his tenure. Tennessee currently holds the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, but moving down the board is something which will receive consideration. 
“Draft picks are our biggest form of currency, so when there’s opportunities to trade back to collect more picks, we’re going to do that,” Borgonzi said during his introductory press conference (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport). “We’re going to look at all avenues as far as that number one pick,” president of football operations Chad Brinker added. “But we won’t pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL Draft.”
Heisman winner Travis Hunter is widely seen as a the top prospect in the 2025 class, but the two-way star (who is viewed as being likely to play corner in the NFL at this point) would not fill Tennessee’s need at the quarterback position. With the Browns, Giants and Raiders respectively owning the second, third and sixth selections, Tennessee taking Hunter would add another layer to the QB sweepstakes in April. In general, though, Borgonzi’s stance about prioritizing volume of picks is a reasonable one.
The Titans currently own eight selections this year, but only two of those are in the top 100. Moving down would help Borgonzi reach his stated goal of making 30 total picks in the next three years, something which will be key in shaping the direction of the franchise moving forward. Given the demand for passers amongst many teams at the top of the board and the scarcity of available quarterbacks viewed as being Day 1 prospects (Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders), a strong trade-up market would likely exist if the Titans elected to entertain offers this spring.
Of course, the team’s stance on that front will depend on the evaluation of Hunter and the signal-callers who could challenge him for hearing their names called first on draft night. While Brinker is set to hold tiebreaking authority on many roster-building moves, it will be Borgonzi having the final say with respect to the draft. How the latter proceeds on that front will be one of the more interesting league storylines during the spring.
Jaguars Hire Liam Coen As HC
Following a stunning turn of events, it sounds like Liam Coen is destined for Jacksonville. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Coen is expected to be named as the next head coach of the Jaguars. Albert Breer of TheMMQB adds to this report, stating that the two sides have a verbal agreement in place. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Coen has already informed the Buccaneers that he’ll be taking the job in Jacksonville.
The official announcement has now been made, with Russini noting that Coen went back home to Tampa Bay while his representatives finalized details with the Jaguars. Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reported earlier this evening that the two sides were in “active negotiations.” This will be a five-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
It was only 36 hours ago that we learned Coen was backing out of the sweepstakes to stick around as the Buccaneers offensive coordinator. According to Breer, Tampa Bay was handing the coach an extension that would make him the highest-paid coordinator in NFL history. Coen would also get to stick in a familiar spot, would get to continue guiding Baker Mayfield‘s revival, and would be positioned to enter the head coaching cycle next offseason.
Things rapidly changed. The Jaguars fired Trent Baalke following reports that the GM was a deterrent to HC candidates. Following that development, it didn’t take long for Coen to reenter the conversation, as the coach reportedly took a secret trip to Jacksonville to meet with Jaguars leadership in person. We heard earlier tonight that the Jaguars were persistent in their attempts to get Coen to reconsider, and Russini says ownership called the coach directly to explain that they’d let him pick the next general manager while also paying him “Ben Johnson-level money.”
That last-ditch effort has apparently worked, as Coen is all but certain to be named the Jaguars next head coach. The offensive coordinator recently emerged as the favorite for the position after the team’s initial target, Johnson, landed with the Bears. Shad Kahn wasn’t going to let another candidate get away, especially after the Jaguars had to pivot off top option Byron Leftwich in 2022.
During that last hiring cycle, the team ended up opting for Doug Pederson, who lasted only three seasons in Jacksonville. While the Jaguars brought in a number of offensive and defensive coaches during their active search, it was believed that the organization was prioritizing a coach who could get the most out of franchise QB Trevor Lawrence.
Coen has recently garnered a reputation as someone who can maximize their QB, as he helped guide Mayfield to a career-best season in 2024. That showing also helped put Coen back on the head coaching radar following a few bumps with the Rams and Kentucky. This head coaching job will now represent Coen’s sixth unique gig in the past six years, and both the coach and the Jaguars are surely hoping he’ll be sticking around for the long-term.