Jaguars GM Baalke shoots down ‘false narratives’, says team can rebound quickly

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Saying that there’s no internal strife threatening to split the franchise apart, Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke remained steadfast that the Jaguars are still positioned well to get back on track quickly after the most disappointing finish in franchise history.

Baalke spent more than 30 minutes Thursday covering an array of topics and was quick to dispel reports that have circulated in the wake of a 9-8 finish of friction between him and coach Doug Pederson on several issues like coaching hires and roster management.

Baalke said that there’s “unity” throughout the building and that he and Pederson work well and collaborate.

“The season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, we had some strong conversations throughout the year of where things were at and where things were trending,” Baalke said. “Great communication, great collaboration, and really respect [Pederson] and everything that he does. A lot of what’s written, a lot of the narratives out there are just false. Plain and simple, false narratives.”

Baalke shot down talk of retiring or being forced out, saying that he was still too young to retire and doesn’t pay attention to speculation on owner Shad Khan firing him.

“I’m not worried about my job. That’s not how I live,” Baalke said. “I don’t live in regrets. I don’t live worried about my job. If somebody can do it better, step up. … I contemplate [retirement] on a daily basis, but no, I’m not. I’m 60 years old. I’m far from retirement.”

The Jaguars entered 2023 as a potential Super Bowl team, racing out to an 8-3 record and chasing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They spiraled with the worst collapse in franchise history, losing five of their final six games to miss the playoffs. Baalke, like during much of his time in Jacksonville, has taken the brunt of the blame for a roster that was not up to par to win the AFC South.

The Texans, who went 3-13-1 in 2022, rebounded to a 10-7 mark in 2023, the result of an exceptional rookie class and won the AFC South. Houston looks like the division frontrunner for years to come behind quarterback C.J. Stroud, while Jacksonville is still looking for similar production from Trevor Lawrence, who is entering his fourth season in the league.

Injuries played a significant role in issues across the team. The offensive line was a turnstile due to injuries and poor play. The defensive line, despite re-signing tackle DaVon Hamilton to a lucrative extension, regressed.

“We’ve got to get bigger, we’ve got to get stronger, we’ve got to get more physical in the trenches,” Baalke said. “If you want to compete for championships, you have to do that. I think we’ve got some good pieces in there, we have some good young players in there, but we have to get better.”

On other big offseason topics:

Baalke backed the development of Lawrence, saying he “made great strides” in some areas in year 3 while dealing with multiple injuries and a struggling offensive line. Lawrence is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but it’s uncertain if Jacksonville will begin those talks after such a turbulent season. Baalke said that even that season by Lawrence won’t preclude an extension.

“But as far as Trevor and his long-term relationship with this team, there’s no doubt that we’re going to get something done at the appropriate time,” Baalke said.

Baalke said edge rusher Josh Allen isn’t going anywhere. Allen set the franchise single-season sack record (17.5) and made his second Pro Bowl while playing on the fifth-year option.

“Josh will be a Jaguar. Very far [away in a new deal with him]. Haven’t started. Haven’t started. Those negotiations will start,” Baalke said. “I’m not going to commit to anything right now relative to the franchise tag. But at the same token, Josh Allen’s going to be a Jaguar next year.”

Receiver Calvin Ridley is also due for a new contract and Baalke said that he’d “love to have Calvin back.” The Jaguars traded for Ridley while he was still on suspension for gambling with the Falcons. Ridley had 1,016 receiving yards and eight touchdowns after sitting out more than a year.

“I love Calvin Ridley. He’s all ball. … When you love something as much as he loves football, you can’t help but get better. So, we would love to have Calvin back,” Baalke said. “We’re going to work toward that. What that means I don’t know, right now.”

Baalke has had a Jekyll and Hyde tenure in town since coming to Jacksonville as the director of player personnel in 2020. He took over on an interim basis for former general manager Dave Caldwell after he was fired on Nov. 29, 2020. The Jaguars promoted Baalke to full-time general manager in January 2021, a season that coincided with the disastrous hire of Urban Meyer and ended with fans sporting red clown noses to show their displeasure with Baalke in the season finale against the Colts.

Jacksonville hired Pederson in 2022, and Baalke put together arguably the best free agent class in franchise history that season. The Jaguars won the AFC South and went on to the divisional round before losing to eventual Super Bowl winner Kansas City. Jacksonville’s mistake, in hindsight, was not doing enough to build off that season.

The Jaguars largely sat out free agency and didn’t come out of the draft with enough impact players to atone for the dropoff and injuries. Jacksonville’s 13-player draft class, outside of right tackle Anton Harrison, was underwhelming. While Harrison started all 17 games and played well, he was Pro Football Focus’ 70th-ranked right tackle.