Jaguars' Rivalry With Titans Could Take Another Turn

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have a storied history with all three of their AFC South rivals, but their bad blood with the Tennessee Titans has always been something a bit deeper.

The Jaguars have dominated the Titans in recent years, sweeping the Titans in 2024 and 2025 as the Nashville franchise floundered. It appears the Jaguars-Titans rivalry could soon get a jumpstart, however.

Saleh and Coen

It appears the Titans have, so far, settled on three finalists for their head coach vacancy: Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

With Hafley seeming being the favorite for the head coach job with the Miami Dolphins, it seems the job could come down to Nagy vs. Saleh. And while Nagy might be the early favorite amongst the two, it is still worth considering what the rivalry will look like if Saleh gets the job.

Sources: The #Titans scheduled an in-person interview with #49ers DC Robert Saleh tomorrow afternoon. He’s a serious candidate, despite not overlapping with GM Mike Borgonzi.

Matt Nagy tomorrow morning. Saleh in the afternoon, plus Jeff Hafley for Tuesday — TEN has its top 3. pic.twitter.com/4U3t1QgaRm
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2026

Coen and Saleh had a, well, interesting run-in after the Jaguars' Week 4 win over the 49ers. Saleh had said during the week that Coen's staff and the McVay tree in general had the best and most sophisticated "sign-stealing" system in football.

Saleh would go on to later say he meant it in a complimentary sense, but Coen and the Jaguars clearly took offense and Coen told Saleh to keep his name out of his mouth, and so forth as Saleh and Coen were seperated by players and the Jaguars left with a road win.

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, left, and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"It is all good. Whatever happened on Sunday doesn't change how I feel. In my heart, I genuinely was trying to give a compliment and I own the fact that I probably used the wrong choice of words, but however you want to word it, I mean, they're really, really good at putting their players in position to be successful," Saleh said to 49ers media the next week.

It was one of the early big wins in Coen's first season, and one of the early signs of what kind of edge the Jaguars' new head coach brought. Coen already checked a lot of sought-after boxes as a young play-caller with experience playing quarterback and coaching the position. But this week showed he had the intensity that can set the tone for a team and a season.

If Saleh gets the Titans job, it will be his program vs. Coen's for twice a year. Even with a likely buried hatchet, that should make for appointment viewing for a rivalry that has been too one-sided in recent seasons.

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