Jaguars owner pauses search for executive VP

The Jacksonville Jaguars pressed the pause button on a search for an executive vice president to oversee the football operation.

Team owner Shad Khan explained that he doesn’t want to impede the recent progress made by new head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke.

“I am pausing on the consideration of introducing an executive vice president of football,” Khan said in a statement. “In just over three weeks, Doug Pederson has instilled a structured and disciplined approach that is clearly making a difference in our culture and mindset.

“I feel we’re best served at this time by allowing Doug, Trent and their assistants to take ownership of our path forward. We will continue to explore the addition of personnel to other areas of our football operations to provide everyone the best chance to win.”

The Jaguars hired Pederson, 54, on Feb. 3. He previously coached the Philadelphia Eagles for five seasons, producing a 42-37-1 record from 2016-20 highlighted by a victory in Super Bowl LII.

Jacksonville finished 3-14 last season under former coach Urban Meyer (2-11) and interim coach Darrell Bevell. The Jaguars have made the playoffs only once (2017 season) in the past 14 seasons.

Some fans in the region were not supportive of the decision to retain Baalke to the extent they attended the team’s regular-season finale in clown masks as a form of protest.

NFL Network reported Khan was set to hire former Jaguars first-round pick Byron Leftwich away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Leftwich demanded say in hiring a new general manager.

–Field Level Media