Some said the Jaguars were supposed to make the leap from perennially terrible to good enough to win the AFC South this year. Instead, the Jaguars stayed awful, landing at 2-11 through the first 13 weeks of the season, which isn't exactly the best news for Gus Bradley.
Bradley still holds his job as the Jaguars coach -- a posting he's held since 2013 -- but he might not last long. In Bradley's time with the Jaguars, he's won 14 games and lost 47. So, it definitely appears to be a matter of when and not if Bradley is fired.
Plus, according to Sam Farmer of The Los Angeles Times,one potential replacement has drawn the interest of Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell: Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
In Farmer's story, which was written about the Rams' coaching search, he noted that the Rams' interest in McDaniels could impact how the Jaguars proceed with Bradley:
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell is believed to be interested in McDaniels, so the Rams' being on the hunt for a coach could impact how the Jaguars deal with Coach Gus Bradley, who is 14-47 in nearly four seasons.
McDaniels, of course, was once the coach of the Broncos, but he was fired midway through his second season. He went 11-17, but his firing was also about how poorly he dealt with personnel. Two examples: He immediately traded Jay Cutler and eventually dealt away Brandon Marshall.
But after getting fired, McDaniels rebounded nicely. After a stint with the Rams in 2011, he headed back to New England to coach Tom Brady. McDaniels has impressed this year in particular, as he retooled the team's offense during Brady's four-game suspension to better fit Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett. They ended up going 3-1 and, now, they're 11-2 and atop the AFC.
In November, McDaniels shot down the idea that he was willing to wait around to succeed Bill Belichick in New England, saying he'd "love" to be a coach again. He did, however, add that the job would have to be at the right place at the right time.
It's tough to know if the Jaguars would fit that criteria. They have a young, improving defense, but they're lacking a quarterback. Then again, McDaniels could choose to see that as a positive, because he'd be able to draft a quarterback in this year's draft. McDaniels probably wouldn't be able to do that in Los Angeles, given the team is likely committed to Jared Goff for the foreseeable future.