JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' head-coach opening is attractive to candidates for a lot of reasons. There’s also one big reason why it might not be.
It appears that general manager Dave Caldwell will be retained at least through 2017 -- owner Shad Khan said Caldwell will be “charged with exploring all options to hire the best head coach possible” -- and that the Jaguars will stick with quarterback Blake Bortles. This will make some candidates think twice about taking the job.
The Jaguars’ next coach should have significant say on the player who is the most important to his potential success. Right now that’s a QB who has more turnovers (60) and has thrown more interceptions (51) than any quarterback has since he entered the league. Bortles also has more pick-sixes (11) than victories as a starter (10) and has the second-worst total QBR of any quarterback over that span, ahead of only Josh McCown.
If a coaching candidate is on board with working with Bortles, that’s great. If Caldwell’s preferred candidate isn’t behind Bortles, then Caldwell will have to make a tough choice -- and the wrong one could eventually cost him his job too.
No head coach wants to be tied to a quarterback he didn’t draft who isn’t playing well. That’s not a recipe for success regardless of how talented the rest of the roster may be. The Jaguars have some good young talent on defense in cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Telvin Smith and defensive tackle Malik Jackson, for example, and on offense in tight end Julius Thomas and receivers Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee. But as we saw this season, none of that could overcome how poorly Bortles has played.
Bortles was good in 2015, setting franchise records for passing yards (4,428) and passing touchdowns (35). Despite the perception, it didn’t all come in garbage time: Only 14 of his touchdown passes came when the Jaguars trailed by double digits. But he still threw 18 interceptions, including four that were returned for touchdowns.
However, in 2016, Bortles regressed to the form from his rookie season in 2014. He is tentative, locks on to receivers, gets too focused on Robinson at times, and is late with some throws. His mechanics have deteriorated, so much so that he needed to bring in his personal throwing coach in October. He isn't the only reason the offense has struggled this season, but he’s a big part of the problem.
Anyone who is considering replacing just-fired coach Gus Bradley has to ask himself the following:
Is Bortles salvageable?
Is he a quick fix?
Can I win with him?
New coaches have dumped quarterbacks before. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who is expected to be the hottest head-coaching candidate and someone the Jaguars will pursue, didn’t want to stick with Jay Cutler after McDaniels became Denver’s head coach in 2009 -- even though Cutler was coming off a Pro Bowl appearance after throwing for 4,526 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Broncos eventually traded Cutler to Chicago for Kyle Orton, two first-round picks and a third-round pick.
Caldwell believes the answer to all the questions about Bortles is yes, and that’s understandable. Caldwell drafted Bortles third overall in 2014, so the GM won't give up on his QB after one bad season. Caldwell may have a hard time convincing potential coaches, though, and he may have to be willing to cut ties with Bortles.