Feb. 28, 2026, 7:56 a.m. ET
Jacksonville Jaguars’ general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen are not in attendance at the 2026 NFL combine.
Among head coaches, bypassing the NFL combine to continue to work at the team facility is a growing trend. However, most general managers do attend.
One other team that doesn’t have either the GM or head coach at the event is the LA Rams, where Gladstone spent his NFL career prior to taking over the GM role in Jacksonville. Gladstone is taking a page out of Les Snead’s playbook in that regard.
So what’s the reasoning behind not going to the NFL combine? Gladstone explained.
“The Combine is a significant annual event on the NFL calendar, one that we value greatly,” Gladstone said, via the Florida Times-Union. “The information and data gathered in Indianapolis are integral to our process. We have significant and influential personnel in Indianapolis, inclusive of our scouts conducting interviews with a full allotment of prospects, and our medical staff is, of course, present and gathering player data.”
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Gladstone continued, “Every piece of information or video that we need from the NFL Combine is at our disposal, which allows us to make appropriate decisions on behalf of the Jaguars organization. I look forward to continued collaboration between our scouting and coaching staffs as we build our team for 2026 and beyond.”
As Gladstone notes, just because he and Coen aren’t present doesn’t mean that the organization isn’t well represented. Scouts and members of the medical staff are in Indianapolis.
Also, all of the measurements and tape of the combine workouts are recorded and sent to the teams. So it’s not as if any of the tape breakdowns or data is being missed.
A likely factor behind Gladstone’s decision to remain in Jacksonville seems to come down to allocation of time. Gladstone and Coen being able to work from the facility — with free agency also on the horizon — while still being able to obtain the required information and data from the NFL combine, could create a more efficient process for the Jaguars.
It seems to work well for the Rams.