Shad Khan truly seems to care about the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Khan purchased the team in 2012 and since then has tried to formulate some sense of stability in Jacksonville.
Gus Bradley was given nearly four full seasons to make the Jaguars a winner before he was fired.
Then came Doug Marrone, who nearly led the team to the Super Bowl during the 2017 season.
But the team regressed and he was given a long leash before ultimately being let go following a 1-15 season in 2020.
Then Khan made his most notable hire of all.
He signed Urban Meyer to a five-year deal to turn the franchise around.
We are not even to 2022 and Meyer has already been fired.
If Khan wants his team to move forward, he cannot mess this process up again.
A statement from #Jaguars owner Shad Khan: pic.twitter.com/uvGZMJZEtN
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2021
The Most Important Piece
Meyer had to go because of his long list of controversies and the fact the team could have faced a legal problem because of the coach kicking a player.
But let’s focus on the football itself.
Meyer was doing nothing to make No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence a better quarterback.
Khan had to be sitting back seeing Mac Jones dominate in New England, wondering why Lawrence was struggling so much.
Wasn’t Meyer supposed to be a great hire who could take a top college player and make him even better?
Add in Meyer benching running back James Robinson and the owner may have finally seen the mistake he had made.
If the No. 1 overall pick is being held back, that hurts the team’s chances of keeping him for the long-term.
Shad Khan is maybe the most patient owner in the NFL and Urban Meyer lasted a whole 13 games
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) December 16, 2021
Lawrence is considered a generational talent and the Jaguars were lucky enough to draft him.
Messing it all up from the start only sets the franchise back further than it already is at 2-11.
Next up comes hiring the right person.
Well, that may be an unfair statement because it is hard to know who is the perfect fit.
What Khan may want to do is get back to the basics and go for a more conventional candidate.
He can hire someone with actual NFL experience, who is used to being around NFL players.
Professional athletes don’t want someone treating them like they are in college.
Khan can also target a candidate who will fly home with the team after road games instead of going to a bar.
That would be a good start to make the franchise respectable again.
NEXT: Jaguars Had No Choice But To Fire Urban Meyer