Potential Favorite Emerging As Jacksonville Jaguars Continue Search For New GM After Firing Trent Baalke

The Jacksonville Jaguars conducted a second interview with Bears assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham this week, bringing the team one step closer to finding its new general manager. Jacksonville parted ways with Trent Baalke last month after four years with the organization. 

Cunningham is one of five finalists for the job in Jacksonville, along with interim GM Ethan Waugh, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone, and Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. 

Of the five, Cunningham is rumored to be a frontrunner to lead a Jaguars team kickstarting an organizational rebuild. He has interviewed with several teams for general manager roles in recent off-seasons, including the Titans on two separate occasions. Before arriving in Chicago in 2022, he worked for the Ravens and Eagles, where he was on staff for two Super Bowl victories.

During Baalke’s tenure, the Jaguars earned two winning seasons but only advanced to the playoffs once. Failing to capitalize on a run to the Divisional Round in 2022, the team went 9-8 but missed the postseason in 2023 before losing Trevor Lawrence to injury in 2024. Despite some success, Baalke’s run began with a 3-14 season and ended with an eerily similar 4-13 campaign.

Along with a new general manager, Jacksonville will also enter the 2025 season with new head coach Liam Coen. Coen was the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator last year and is stepping into his first head coaching role in Jacksonville.