In London, the Times-Union discussed a variety of topics with Jaguars owner Shad Khan: From Trevor Lawrence and coach Doug Pederson to TIAA Bank Field renovations and more.
In a 30-minute interview Saturday with the Times-Union, the 72-year-old owner – along with team president Mark Lamping – expounded on a number of topics. They ranged from matters of football, to the status of a potential renovation of TIAA Bank Field, to their support for keeping the Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville, to Khan’s vision for his recent purchase of the Seahorse Inn/Lemon Bar in Neptune Beach.
“A loss is a loss, let’s face it,” Khan said. “But we’re so close, you could taste it, then you lose. To me, it’s like how can we turn that into a win? What should have we done? But the thing I’m most encouraged by is we absolutely have the two key components. We have a quarterback, we have the head coach, along with his staff.
He also acknowledged having “much more granular information” about the team gave him a better perspective last year before making his mid-December decision to part ways with Meyer. What is less certain is what the future looks like for TIAA Bank Field, which will soon be without a significant renovation longer than any other NFL stadium. It’s a distinction they share with the Buffalo Bills, whose new state-of-the-art stadium is scheduled to open in 2026.
“The best way to describe it is we’re going step by step. When you complete that step, then you determine if you’re going to take the next step. You may get to a point where you don’t take the next step. To have a discussion about that without knowing what’s going to be built, what’s the projected cost, what are the ancillary benefits of this new facility.
“Our fans are telling us that weather protection is a top element,” Khan said. “So shade, but also [protection] from rain. To get use out of a publicly-owned stadium, you got to think beyond just the NFL games.” They push the topic of how it might affect the Georgia-Florida game, as well as other events like concerts and other potential attractions for Jacksonville.