Jaguars retain Marrone, Caldwell despite 'unacceptable' season

The Jacksonville Jaguars will bring back head coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell in 2020, owner Shad Khan announced Tuesday.

Marrone and Caldwell were widely expected to be relieved of their duties following a 10-loss season that dropped the Jaguars to 11-21 since their run to the AFC title game in 2017. Marrone himself acknowledged at the end of the season that he was concerned about his job status.

"The 2019 season was unacceptable and I've made my dissatisfaction clear," Khan said. "While many unusual circumstances influenced our season, none can fully explain or defend our second-half collapse with first place in the division within reach on Week 9. At the same time, there were positive developments and contributions that should not be overlooked."

Marrone is coming off his third full season as Jaguars head coach and owns a record of 21-27 over that time. Caldwell has served as general manager since 2013, posting just one winning season.

"We came out of our AFC Championship Game season of 2017 by making a four-year commitment to the collective leadership of our football operations," Khan said. "Only two seasons have passed and one change from that leadership team (Tom Coughlin) has already been made. I want to see what we produce under a new organizational structure in 2020. Goals have been established. Accountability will be paramount."

The Jaguars head into the offseason with roster deficiencies, salary cap issues, and a quarterback controversy, as Marrone benched high-priced acquisition Nick Foles down the stretch for rookie Gardner Minshew. Foles is on the books for over $22 million in 2020 and carries a dead cap hit of nearly $34 million, according to Spotrac.