The Jacksonville Jaguars are shaking things up on the defensive side of the ball, as they have fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, by Fox Sports. NFL Media Reports that Caldwell’s staff was also laid off.
The Jags are coming off a disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans in the regular season finale, in which they only needed to win to clinch the AFC South. Instead, Jacksonville was upset, 28-20, and eliminated from the playoffs. Derrick Henry had his best performance of the season with 153 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Tennessee matched its season high with 28 points scored.
The Jaguars finished with the No. 22 defense in yards allowed per game (342.8) and the No. 17 defense with 21.8 points allowed per game. Jacksonville had a top-10 defense, but struggled to defend the pass, as the Jaguars finished the 2023 campaign ranked 26th in passing yards allowed per game (239.8).
Caldwell was in his second season as Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator. Previously, he served as linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles.