JERRY REESE

The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Trent Baalke as general manager Thursday, removing the interim tag from his title and pairing him with new coach Urban Meyer. Khan interviewed five minority candidates and Baalke for the team’s open GM job. Baalke spent a dozen years with the 49ers, half as GM. Before moving to Jacksonville, Baalke spent three years (2017-19) working as an operations consultant for the NFL. Adding to the appeal: Khan, a billionaire businessman, has shown a penchant for patience and a willingness to spend big.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Indianapolis. “What's evaded the history of the Jags really has been a franchise quarterback,” Khan said. But Khan gave Marrone another chance to make Jacksonville a playoff contender again. Marrone went 25-44 in four-plus seasons in Jacksonville, including 2-1 in the postseason. Khan kept Marrone in place after firing general manager Dave Caldwell in late November, but ultimately decided on a clean sweep.