CLOWN SHOW? JAGS FANS WANT GM OUT
If a 40-point drubbing at New England didn’t get Jacksonville owner Shad Khan’s full attention, then what’s being planned for the team’s season finale just might.
Frustrated fans are revolting against the Jaguars and have Khan in their crosshairs.
Hundreds, if not thousands, have changed their social media profile pics to a clown donning Khan’s signature mustache.
And they’ve started reply- ing to every Jaguars post or live feed with countless clown emojis. Next up: They’re planning to don clown costumes — red rubber noses, face paint and colorful wigs, at the very least — when the Jaguars (2-14) host Indianapolis (9-7) at TIAA Bank Field on Sunday.
The goal is to persuade Khan to fire General Manager Trent Baalke, whose reputation and repeated mistakes have been under the microscope since NFL Network reported that Baalke would be retained in 2022 and would assist in the team’s coaching search.
Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Green Bay offensive coordinator Nate Hackett and Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich reportedly declined to interview with the Jaguars during the final two weeks of the regular season, leaving many to wonder whether Baalke’s presence was an issue.
Baalke’s résumé includes three consecutive NFC championship games with San Francisco (2011-13) and reports he was a problem behind the scenes while working with ex-NFL coaches Jim Harbaugh (2011-14), Jim Tomsula (2015), Chip Kelly (2016) and, most recently, Urban Meyer (2021).
Baalke inherited a Jaguars team that had the No. 1 draft pick (quarterback Trevor Lawrence), five of the first 65 selections and about $100 million in salary cap space.
And he somehow made Jacksonville worse and arguably a bigger laughingstock than it’s been during Khan’s decade of dysfunction as owner.
“I haven’t been around the NFL long so I really still don’t even know how everything completely works, but I’m just trusting who is in leadership positions,” Lawrence said.
Brown didn’t claim injury
Antonio Brown’s latest messy departure from an NFL team, the Buccaneers, was not about an injury, coach Bruce Arians said.
Yes, the Buccaneers are moving on from Brown, whose NFL career is on hold yet again after another in a series of incidents, including two women accusing him of sexual assault in 2019.
But Arians dispelled the notion that Brown stormed off the field Sunday — tossing some of his gear into the stands and waving to fans at the Jets’ MetLife Stadium — after refusing to go back in because of an ankle injury that had sidelined him for several weeks.
Twice, Arians was asked about Brown claiming he was hurt. Both times, the coach answered “No,” that Brown didn’t tell him he was injured.
“It’s pretty obvious what happened. He left the field and that was it,” Arians said, declining to elaborate on an
exchange the coach said he had with the receiver on the
sideline.
Notable
Bears coach Matt Nagy would like to start quarterback Justin Fields in the season finale against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium, provided the rookie has recovered enough from an ankle injury that kept him out the last two games.
The Eagles placed defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and tight end Dallas Goedert along with 10 others on the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Saturday’s regularseason finale against Dallas.
The 49ers placed cornerbacks K’Waun Williams and Dontae Johnson, along with injured running back
Raheem Mostert on the COVID-19 list.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said linebacker
Bobby Wagner didn’t suffer structural damage to his injured knee on Sunday.