Mike Tomlin's Departure Should Reaffirm One Thing for Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The entire landscape of the AFC has cahnged this offseason.

There are still a few blue bloods fighting, such as the Buffalo Bills, after they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card. And it hardly looks like the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos are going anywhere anytime soon.

But for more than a decade, the AFC has had several pillars at head coach: Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. For the first time, only Reid remains amongst the three after Harbaugh's firing and Tomlin stepping down from his role.

And with the adapting AFC landscape, the Jaguars should recognize that they can not afford to wait to take advantage.

AFC Changes

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

With Tomlin and Harbaugh now gone, two of the most stable franchises in football are now left flying in the wind. They are not doomed by default, of course. If they make smart hires and have productive offseasons, they can continue to win games at the high clip they are accustomed to.

But it is impossible to say the Steelers and Ravens, and the AFC as a result, are not weaker today than two weeks ago when Tomlin and Harbaugh were still in their roles. Neither team was much of a factor in the AFC race this year, with the Steelers losing in the Wild Card round's biggest blowout and the Ravens failing to qualify for the playoffs.

Nov 4, 2018; Baltimore, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speak before the game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

That is where the Jaguars come in. With Tomlin's departure, there are now nine open jobs in the NFL. This includes a number of AFC jobs such as the Steelers, Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and the Las Vegas Raiders. Heck, one of those teams has even already requested to speak to Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.

With such a seismic shift in the AFC over the last 12 months -- and with Reid himself looking closer and closer to retirement -- the Jaguars should know that the window is now. Just for AFC South titles, not for regular-season wins ... but for AFC championships.

liam coe — Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Buffalo Bills at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

With legacy teams like the Ravens and Steelers that factored into the AFC race more often than not now drifting into the unknown, this is the time the Jaguars should be able to take advantage of consistency. The Jaguars have the alignment they have always been seeking, and now is the time to put it to good use.

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