Report: Jaguars set to retain general manager Trent Baalke

The Jaguars may not be completely cleaning house after all.

According to a report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapport, Jaguars owner Shad Khan intends to retain general manager Trent Baalke to assist with the team’s search for a new head coach. Rapoport did not clarify if the new head coach would have any decision-making authority to retain Baalke or find a new GM, however.

Khan fired former Jaguars HC Urban Meyer early in the morning on Dec. 16, just 13 weeks into his young NFL head coaching career.

Since his firing, it was assumed that Jacksonville would likely opt to go in an entirely new direction with both its front office and coaching staff, depending on who would come in and assume the responsibilities as the new head coach. At least one aspect of that doesn’t appear to be the case now.

Baalke, according to Rapoport, will report to Khan, working in sync with the new head coach, who will also have a direct like to the team’s owner. That structure was the same when Meyer was hired as the team’s HC, too.

Khan opted to retain Baalke, along with hiring Meyer in January of this year. Baalke was first brought into the Jaguars’ front office under former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell in 2020 as the team’s director of player personnel. He would take over as interim GM after Caldwell was fired on Nov. 29, 2020.

As an NFL executive, including seven years as a GM, Baalke has accounted for an overall record of 59-67. From 2011-13 as the San Francisco 49ers GM, the franchise made it to the Conference Championship game twice and the Super Bowl once. The team lost all three contests.

The 49ers would quickly regress following their final playoff attempt under Baalke, going 15-33 in the process before Baalke was let go by the franchise.

As reported yesterday by CBSSports’ Jason LaCanfora, Rapoport also states that the team plans to interview both former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell and former Philadelphia Eagles HC Doug Pederson.

The team, according to Rapoport, also has an interest in Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who was selected in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jaguars under then-head coach Jack Del Rio.