Coen's Crossroads: The NFL's Interview Dilemma

Liam Coen found himself in a tough spot when he agreed to become the highest-paid offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers. There was one small catch: he couldn't interview with the Jaguars. This handshake deal turned out to be a problem when Coen decided to interview anyway. The NFL rules allow assistants to interview for head-coaching jobs even after signing a new contract. So, Coen had to choose: stick with the Buccaneers or go for the job in Jacksonville. Things got tricky when Coen decided not to interview initially, likely because he wasn't keen on working with Jacksonville's GM, Trent Baalke. But when Baalke left, Coen got interested again. He could have told the Buccaneers about his change of heart, but that risked losing the deal. It's a delicate situation when you're juggling job offers. You don't want to alienate your current team, but you also don't want to miss out on a better opportunity. No one knows how they'd act in such a situation unless they're in it. Decisions are made fast, and people act on instinct. If the Buccaneers had presented the contract without the condition about not interviewing, Coen might have felt more at ease about exploring his options. But the condition put him in a difficult position. In the end, Coen chose to keep the Buccaneers in the dark until he made up his mind to take the Jaguars job.