JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A question is hovering over the Jacksonville Jaguars lately: How appealing would the openings be if owner Shad Khan fires coach Doug Pederson and/or general manager Trent Baalke?

They might be the best NFL jobs available, especially if Khan cleans house for the second time in his 14-year tenure.

The Jaguars (4-12) have a young quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) with upside, a budding star at receiver (Brian Thomas Jr.), a few defensive building blocks (cornerback Tyson Campbell and pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker), a relatively new practice facility, a $1.4 billion stadium renovation upcoming and a hands-off owner with patience and deep pockets.

They will have a top-10 draft pick in April and roughly $50 million in salary cap space for 2025, play in arguably the NFL’s weakest division (AFC South) and work in a state with plenty of sunshine and no state income tax. They also are 3-9 in one-score games — an indication they could be closer than some might imagine given losses to Buffalo and Detroit by a combined 83 points.

A lot of positives, no doubt.

But Khan also is committed to playing at least one home game annually in London — even though it might put the team at a competitive disadvantage — and will play home games in 2026 in front of a reduced capacity and play all of 2027 away from Jacksonville. More daunting, the roster has several aging veterans — defensive end Arik Armstead, tight end Evan Engram, receiver Christian Kirk, linebacker Foye Oluokun, center Mitch Morse and guard Brandon Scherff — and no identity. And there’s no guarantee that Lawrence is more than an above-average starter in the league.

So some negatives, too.

Khan has offered no indication as to what he plans to do after the season, which ends Sunday at Indianapolis (7-9). The owner, however, was noticeably absent from the locker room following a 20-13 victory over division rival Tennessee on Sunday. He previously has distanced himself from GMs and coaches before firings.

Pederson seems resigned to his fate and spoke Monday about how trying the season has been.

“To look back now and see where we are and the struggles we’ve had, this is disappointing,” Pederson said. “Everybody’s disappointed, everybody feels it. Obviously, I’m the one in charge of it.

“I might take it harder than others because I feel like that, if you’re going to put your hands on something, you want it to be positive, you want it to be better than when you started. Three years in, I still feel like we’ve created something here that is positive, and it is heading in the right direction.”

He also offered a potential path out.

“Continuity is the only way that you can kind of get it fixed,” he said.

What’s working

Backup quarterback Mac Jones played turnover-free football for the second consecutive game, doing his part to give the Jaguars a chance. He completed 15 of 22 passes for 174 yards, with two touchdowns.

“I got to continue to do that, hopefully three games in a row,” Jones said.

What needs help

The Jaguars simply have to do a better job covering tight ends in 2025. They let Tennessee’s Nick Vannett run uncovered into the end zone for an easy touchdown, their latest in a long list of coverage busts against tight ends this season.

Stock up

Thomas continued his late-season tear against the Titans. The former LSU star caught seven passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, giving him 38 receptions for 490 yards and five scores in his last five games. He now owns every franchise receiving record for rookies and is the team’s top building block moving forward.

Stock down

Defensive tackle Tyler Lacy was inactive against the Titans, a sign he’s fallen behind rookie Maason Smith on the depth chart. A fourth-round draft pick out of Oklahoma State in 2023, Lacy has 25 tackles and just one QB hit this season.

Injuries

The Jaguars had no new injuries against Tennessee.

Key number

5 – Jacksonville’s current spot in the 2025 NFL draft. If it holds, the Jaguars would have a top-five pick for the third time in the last five years.

Next steps

The Jaguars could be a week away from major changes.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl