Why the Jaguars Are the Best Destination For Any HC Candidate, Part II

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the best opening of any team in the NFL for more than a few reasons. Here, we go into reason No. 2.
Dec 12, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) smiles during pregame warmups against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) smiles during pregame warmups against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
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With the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel on Sunday, there are now just five head coach jobs open.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, there certainly appears to be a case for them to be ranked above the likes of the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, and the New Orleans Saints.

"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," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said last week.

"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.”

But what are the main arguments of that case, and what does it mean as the Jaguars continue to look for Doug Pederson's replacement? We break it down into a three-part series, continuing here with Part II.

Trevor Lawrence

When looking at the five open jobs on the market, it is hard to say the Jaguars don't have a significant advantage at the quarterback position. Caleb Williams is the lone quarterback on a rookie deal that teams can build around this cycle now that Drake Maye if off the board, but Lawrence gets a leg up on him due to experience.

Lawrence isn't a completely developed quarterback yet -- nor close to it -- but a coach can likely hit the ground running and win games quicker with him than with Williams, especially when you factor in the strength of divisions each plays in.

Otherwise, the respective teams looking for a new head coach are all entering the offseason with major questions at the quarterback positions and no clear path to finding answers.

Other than potentially Sam Darnold, no veteran quarterback is going to hit the open market and provide a short- or long-term spark. And the Saints, Jets and Raiders are not in position to take one of the top quarterbacks in an already weak 2025 quarterback class.

Lawrence isn't perfect, and the next Jaguars head coach needs to help him take the next step, but he is a young quarterback on a long-term deal whom everyone in Jacksonville believes has the tools for greatness.

Coaches across the league would line up for the chance to be the coach who gets the most out of Trevor Lawrence. And it is for that reason that the Jaguars offer the best stop among all possible destinations for any head coach in this market.

Quarterback is the toughest question for any franchise to figure out. For Jacksonville, they already have their answer.

As previously discussed in Part I, here is another reason the Jaguars' job is the top on the market.

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John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.