2025 has seen a rocky start to the season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but despite all their struggles, the NFL underdogs have managed to claw their way to a 4-2 start. The Jags are making progress under head coach Liam Coen, after owner Shad Khan cleaned house in 2024.
With an abysmal 4-13 record, no one was safe; everyone was let go, and Khan hired Coen, along with James Gladstone at general manager, to turn things around. Already, the Jaguars are looking better. There are still some struggles, particularly with the passing game, but Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. have both been slowly improving week to week, and the Jaguars are still well-poised to battle the Colts for the AFC South.
One of the big things going for the Jaguars right now is what has become their defining feature: they are a gritty team that may not always bring home pretty wins, but they make it happen when it matters most. And the person who is responsible for that is largely Coen, who has overseen a culture shift that has turned this Jacksonville team into a serious playoff contender.
Coen’s Early Impact Shows Why the Jaguars’ Bet Was Worth It
Shad Khan spoke to talkSPORT about how he's feeling as the Jaguars prepare to head into Week 7, and despite the hiccups and struggles along the way, he's happy with what he's seeing - and much of that is due to Coen's leadership.
"I feel great on really the progress we've had and really, how aligned we are, not only as a football team, but really as a leadership and where we're headed," Khan said.
Furthermore, he was asked about the controversial way Coen was brought onto the team, and Khan certainly seems to think it was all worth it.
"Well, I think it's not how you go about it. It's the result," he said. "And I think to me, the result is what we were looking for. We wanted to have really the best possible leadership team, and I knew that we needed to have really a third person position, the executive VP. And so, really it was about getting three of the best people who would all be on the same page. And it's not just from day one, but as the journey continues, we know the destination, but as you go through the journey, that there's the push pull, but overall, it's aligned."
Currently, just one team has a better record in the entire conference than the Jaguars do, and that's their divisional rival, the Indianapolis Colts... and they're ahead by just one game. And in the meantime, as Lawrence has explained, Coen has had a massive influence on the personality of the team. The grittiness, the physicality, the tenacity all come from him.
"I think he's really brought a lot of energy, and I think the team is, for sure, taking on some of that, and just the way he carries himself," Lawrence told the media before taking on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6. "And you see you guys see him in the locker room and on the field, on the sideline. I mean, that passion, that energy, is contagious, and our team has bought into that."
The Jaguars have gone to the playoffs in recent years, of course; but there has been a problem, and that's with long-term success. There have been occasional seasons where Jacksonville has managed to win, but they have yet to become a team good enough to be feared year after year as legitimate contenders for the playoffs, and even the Super Bowl. Realistically, that hasn't been the case since the golden years of the franchise, with Tom Coughlin at the helm and Mark Brunell under center.
But with Coen, there is good reason to be optimistic that this could become a reality again. Coen seems to understand that the goal is not to win right now - the mantra for the Indianapolis Colts, for example - but to build a team that will continue growing and succeeding past just this one season.
Coen has enabled the defense to improve massively, he's revitalized the Jaguars' run game, and seems to be getting the best out of Trevor Lawrence. There are good reasons to think the Jaguars have good things ahead - for 2025 and far beyond.