The Jaguars have completed an interview with Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown for their general manager vacancy, per a team announcement.
Brown has been one of the league’s hottest GM candidates over the last two cycles. He received interest from the Raiders and the Patriots in 2024 and interviewed with the Jets twice this year. Now, he finds himself on Jacksonville’s radar after they fired Trent Baalke to secure the services of new head coach Liam Coen.
Brown began his front office career as a scout with the Patriots (2010-2012) and the Eagles (2013-2014). He rose up the ranks in Philadelphia to become the director of college scouting in 2016, a position he held for three years before joining the AAF’s Birmingham Iron as executive vice president of football operations in 2019. Brown then moved to the XFL as the St. Louis Battlehawks’ director of player personnel in 2020 before returning to the NFL in 2021.
Brown spent one year as a scout in Cincinnati before his promotion to senior personnel executive. During his tenure, the Bengals added Orlando Brown in free agency and signed Joe Burrow to a long-term extension. However, their 2024 season was marred by poor defense and a struggling rushing attack, though Burrow still led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.
Brown has no direct connections with Coen, though Bengals head coach Zac Taylor worked closely with Coen in Los Angeles in 2018. If hired, he would seek to provide Trevor Lawrence with additional pass-catching options outside of rookie receiving leader Brian Thomas while upgrading one of the league’s worst defenses heading into 2025.
Here are the rest of the Jaguars’ candidates for the job:
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interview requested
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interview requested
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interviewed 1/12
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interview requested
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): Interview requested
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): To interview 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): One of top candidates?
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Interviewed 2/11