Insider Makes Bold Prediction About Jaguars Head Coach Search

Could the Jacksonville Jaguars make a curveball decision when it comes to finding their next head coach?

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan smiles Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at the new Miller Electric Center at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Selected guests and media witnessed speeches, a ribbon cutting and tour of the new facilities. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to make one of the most important decisions in franchise history in the coming weeks: replacing Doug Pederson.

After a 4-13 season in 2024, the Jaguars are looking for the final and ultimate long-term answer at head coach to lead them into a winning future. And with 10 candidates on the list, the Jaguars have certainly cast a wide net.

But among those 10, who makes the most sense?

In a piece where ESPN insider Dan Graziano calls his shot on which coaches will land where in this year's hiring cycle, Graziano makes it clear that the retainment of general manager Trent Baalke will impact the Jaguars' pursuit of Ben Johnson.

"A week ago, there was a lot of thinking around the league that this could be the spot for Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson -- and of course, it very well still could," Graziano said. "But the Jaguars' decision to move on from Pederson and keep GM Trent Baalke has raised some red flags for potential head coach candidates who are hoping to start with a fully clean slate. And it means Johnson could be looking at other situations where he and a new GM would come in together."

As a result, Graziano has the Jaguars leaning a different direction in his prediction and ultimately predicts they hire Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Brady burst onto the scene as Joe Burrow's passing game coordinator at LSU during the record-breaking 2019 season. Since then, he spent two seasons with the Carolina Panthers as offensive coordinator before joining the Bills in 2022 as quarterbacks coach. Brady was made interim offensive coordinator in 2023, and the Bills' offense has soared since then.

"Brady has rebuilt the Bills' offense into a bully and has Buffalo positioned for a potential Super Bowl run. Only the Lions score more than his Bills offense (29.5 points per game). And Brady has had NFL teams' attention in several recent head coach cycles," Graziano continued.

"A sleeper here could be Robert Saleh, whose interview with the team will happen Tuesday. Saleh, who was fired as the Jets' head coach early in the 2024 season, spent three seasons as the Jaguars' linebackers coach on Gus Bradley's staff from 2014 to 2016."

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