On paper, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars had hit it out of the ballpark when they hired Ryan Neilsen as their defensive coordinator in 2024. After all, he enjoyed success and was highly respected in his previous stops, the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, his hiring turned out to be a crass mistake, one that the Jags paid dearly for.
With Nielsen at the helm, Jacskonville fielded one of the worst defenses in the league, ranking near the cellar of most meaningful categories. Looking back, it's easy to underestand why the mustachioed coach came crashing down.