Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan made the decision to fire head coach Gus Bradley after their home loss to the Minnesota Vikings no matter the outcome against the Houston Texans the following week. While fans were likely elated at this decision, some probably wondered why Bradley was even given this season. This doesn’t even mention the fact that some fans are calling into question whether Dave Caldwell is the right man as general manager. But whatever you may think about Bradley or Caldwell, Shad Khan may be one of the more levelheaded owners in the NFL.
Examining Jaguars Owner Shad Khan’s Decision Making
Shad Khan’s Handling of Coach Gus Bradley
Many fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars were probably wondering why Gus Bradley didn’t get fired at the end of last season. Besides not getting fired, he even got a one-year extension. The extension was likely just a show of faith, but it was still an extension. It’s hard to say what the owner of an NFL team is thinking. But one can assume that with his business background, Shad Khan is an adroit decision maker. Maybe he didn’t keep Bradley because he believed in him, but because of what one more year could do for a coaching search.
Many analysts said that the Jacksonville Jaguars had a great off-season. They brought in some good talent in all three phases of the game in free agency and even got some steals in the draft. From a personnel standpoint, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a more complete team this year than at the end of last season. Perhaps Khan knew that with rising talent Jacksonville would become a more attractive home for a prospective head coach. Is this the reason Shad Khan waited to fire Gus Bradley until now? Perhaps, but there does seem to be more interest in the Jaguars head coaching job now than there has been in the past.
Shad Khan and Dave Caldwell
Some fans question whether Dave Caldwell should also be fired at this point. That is a fair question. His first coach was loved by the players but had no success where it counted. Also, Blake Bortles, Caldwell’s pick to be the leader of the franchise, has struggled to look like a legitimate starting quarterback this year. Bortles’ great sophomore campaign is what is saving him for now, but Caldwell should hope that he improves next year.
Whether or not Caldwell should be fired isn’t the question, though. With Coach Bradley, Khan allowed the roster to get better players and waited until the end of the fourth year to make a coaching change. With Dave Caldwell, the success of the next coach will (should) decide his fate in Jacksonville. Caldwell has his work cut out for him. He needs to pick a good coach and have another strong draft. Either way, you can be sure that Khan will be watching. In Caldwell’s own words, he will need to meet “reasonable expectations” in the next few years in order to stay with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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