The Jacksonville Jaguars were reportedly very close to hiring Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant Byron Leftwich as their next head coach. In fact, they still might. However, according to recent reports, Leftwich wants something else to happen first before he takes on the head coaching role.
According to reports, Leftwich wants the Jaguars to fire general manager Trent Baalke and replace him with Adrian Wilson, currently the vice president of pro scouting for the Arizona Cardinals. Some have even reported that this is already happening.
However, nothing appears to be certain for sure at the moment and no one has come out and said this definitely happening yet.
For Jaguars fans, it would be welcome news to hear that Baalke is gone. The controversial GM was retained after the team fired Urban Meyer. They also said that he would be involved in the search for their new head coach next year, something that appears to have caused multiple candidates for the job to back away out of a desire not to work with him.
Jaguars fans showed their disdain for Baalke and the team’s decision to keep him by changing their social media avatars to clowns and even showing up to the season finale in full clown gear in protest.
So the idea that Baalke could be pushed out is something they seem very excited about. However, there’s also the possibility the Jaguars decide to back Baalke again and miss out on Leftwich, who is now also a candidate for the Saints job. Those two distinct possibilities have created a lot of distinct reactions from Jacksonville fans on social media.
If Byron Leftwich is able to force Trent Baalke out to hire his own GM, this city won’t wait for a Super Bowl win to hold a parade
— Lauren Brooks (@1010XLLauren) January 27, 2022
If Trent Baalke stays, it's a mistake. If he isn't gonna stay, he should already have been gone. It isn't rocket science. This feels exactly like free agency did last year.
— Amp Wigg (@ShopTalkingWigg) January 27, 2022
We’ll see how all of this plays out and how Jaguars fans feel in the end. Given the kind of run they’ve had to deal with in recent years, they’re probably assuming the worst while hoping for the best.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.