NFL News: Jay Gruden named Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator
Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden has been named the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars after the franchise parted ways with John DeFilippo earlier this week.
Gruden had previously been the head coach for the Washington Redskins for 6 years, before being fired in October after the team started 0-5 in the 2019 season. After just one post-season appearance with the Redskins, Gruden's time in Washington had certainly come to an end. In total, Gruden went 35-49-1 as the head coach for the Redskins.
Before being the head coach of the Redskins, Gruden was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals for 3 years. He was responsible for leading the Bengals to 3 Wild Card Rounds and developing quarterback Andy Dalton. This was enough for Redskins' owner and then general manager Bruce Allen to believe he'd be a good head coach for the Redskins, but unfortunately it did not change much for the team.
Now with a fresh new team, it will be interesting to see how Gruden performs with the Jaguars. DeFilippo was released after just one season with the team, which certainly puts pressure on Gruden to perform well. But the Jaguars' lack of performance should not be blamed just on DeFilippo, as starting quarterback Nick Foles was injured for most of the season. Sixth-round rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew took over quarterback duties and performed decently, but it was not enough to help the Jaguars 2019 season.
If the Jaguars address the quarterback position this season, as Foles is not the answer now, they could certainly be a decent offense in the league. Assuming Gruden performs well as the offensive coordinator, it could determine whether head coach Doug Marrone will stay as the head coach. He was on the hot seat after 2 straight losing seasons, which Gruden could take over if he is let go midseason. This could put pressure on Gruden to do well now with his new job.