Story by
Jacksonville Jaguars' Trent Baalke has 'a lot' to process on which veterans to bring back
- Story by
- Jacksonville Jaguars' Trent Baalke has 'a lot' to process on which veterans to bring back
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke met with media alongside owner Shad Khan to discuss Doug Pederson's firing and other topics on Monday.
Baalke was retained by Khan after Jacksonville's disappointing 4-13 season. Pederson was let go after serving three years as head coach and amassing a 22-29 record with the club.
Advertisement
Khan and Baalke talked for nearly 30 minutes, addressing the how much influence Trevor Lawrence will have in the coaching search, what type of candidates are they looking for and more.
Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke bumps fists with Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) during Monday morning's training camp. The Jacksonville Jaguars held training camp Monday, August 1, 2022, at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Knight Campus practice fields on Atlantic Blvd.
One of the interesting points of conversation circle around two of Jacksonville's offensive veterans. Christian Kirk and Evan Engram were placed on the injured reserve list after suffering season-ending injuries.
They were two of several players who suffered season-ending injuries including Lawrence , Gabe Davis , Cooper Hodges and Walker Little .
Baalke says Jaguars need to be able to overcome injuries in the future
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is carted off the field after sustaining a heavy hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Injuries happen in football. It's a fact.
Advertisement
However, Baalke believes that the team needs to be able to overcome those setbacks in the future.
"When you look at Detroit for instance, the number of injuries they've had this year and they're able to overcome them," he said. "We aren't to that point. We need to get there."
The Lions suffered injuries to several key players on both sides of the ball this season and still became the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk (13), seen here leaving the field after sustaining a collarbone injury against the Green Bay Packers in 2024 that ended his season, was released this week because he became too expensive for the team to keep him around.
The team officially requested to speak with several coaching candidates , including Lions' coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, on Tuesday morning.
One thing Baalke praised was the work that the training and medical staff did to keep players healthy. It was also referenced by Khan during one of his answers, saluting the staff as one of the best in the league.
Advertisement
But still, in the future Baalke hopes the team can rise above missing players.
"The injuries we do have are unfortunate but they are a part of the business and you've just got to be able to overcome them," he said. I'm very confident in this group of players and very confident in the group that's working with these players to keep them healthy and keep them going."
Baalke still processing potential return of Christian Kirk , Evan Engram and other veterans
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) lies on the turf after sustaining an unknown injury as tight end Evan Engram (17) reacts during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Packers edged the Jaguars 30-27 on a last-second field goal. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Baalke was asked about the return of Kirk and Engram next season. He did not answer the question.
"I met with a lot of these players this morning. A lot of guys stopped by after the team meeting and shared some thoughts with them as we move forward," he said. "But there's going to be time to process all this stuff."
Advertisement
Baalke did say that both players are under contract, and they are committed to the organization. However, it's a bit of a different response than the one he gave last season when question rose about pass rusher Josh Allen returning to the team.
Baalke said "Josh will be a Jaguar" at that point. The team moved on from several veteran players who were under contract last season.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) is tackled by Tennessee Titans safety Joshua Kalu (28) during the second quarter of an NFL football regular season matchup AFC South division title game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Zay Jones , Foley Fatukasi, Darious Williams and Rayshawn Jenkins were all cut last spring.
It wouldn't be surprising if the team opted to do the same with Engram or Kirk, especially with the emergence of Brenton Strange and Parker Washington .
Advertisement
Baalke said once they get a new head coach, and new leadership, they'll go through the roster to evaluate everything.
But as for now, there's not a definitive yes or no on if those two players will return to the team next year.
"There's a lot of things to process over the next couple of months as we move forward, but it will all be done in due time," he said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Trent Baalke focused on coach, then fixing roster
