Jacksonville was not a preferred pick to contend for a playoff spot in 2025, head coach Liam Coen‘s first yr on the helm. Vegas set the Jaguars’ preseason over/under win total at 7.5, however the club smashed expectations during a 13-4 campaign. The offensive-minded Coen was the runner-up to the Patriots’ Mike Vrabel in Coach of the Yr voting. With Coen’s help, quarterback Trevor Lawrence bounced back from a rough 2024 to complete fifth in MVP balloting.
While the Jaguars edged out the 12-5 Texans for the AFC South title, they were unable to capitalize on home-field advantage within the wild-card round. After losing in dramatic fashion to the Bills, the Jaguars went into the offseason low on cap space and with out a first-round pick. Those aspects prevented second-year general manager James Gladstone from making any headline-grabbing additions, but there’s an argument he didn’t have to do anything drastic. With a few notable exceptions, the overwhelming majority of last yr’s fundamental contributors are back. Between that and the return of 2025 No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter, who missed most of his rookie yr with a knee injury, the Jaguars are heading into 2026 with high expectations.
Trades:
Every week before April’s draft, Gladstone and Falcons GM Ian Cunningham shook hands on a change-of-scenery swap involving a pair of defensive tackles. Because each players were 2024 second-round picks (Orhorhoro went thirty fifth overall, Smith forty eighth), they arrive with similar contracts. Orhorhoro is halfway through a four-year, $9.92MM deal. He’ll count roughly $1.7MM against the cap in 2026. Smith, who signed for $8.02MM, carries a $1.52MM cap hit this yr.
The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Smith had 4 quarterback hits, three sacks and three tackles for loss during an 11-game rookie debut. Nonetheless, he didn’t make a dent in any of those categories in 13 games last yr. In his first season because the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile used Smith on just 28.38% of snaps. The LSU product totaled a meager 15 tackles and 11 pressures. Smith finished the yr as Pro Football Focus’ One hundredth-ranked interior defensive lineman out of 127 qualifiers.
PFF had a good harsher view of Orhorhoro, whose 2025 performance ranked 123rd at his position. Nonetheless, going by traditional numbers, he easily outproduced Smith. While playing a full 17-game season and logging a 54% defensive snap share, Orhorhoro tallied 30 pressures, 25 tackles, six QB hits, 4 TFL and three.5 sacks.
The 6-4, 295-pounder from Clemson made the primary eight starts of his profession last season, however the Jaguars will initially deploy him as depth behind DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead. If Orhorhoro performs well in his first yr under Campanile, he could slide into Armstead’s starting spot in 2027. While the Jaguars are expected to maintain Armstead this season, they’re more likely to let the soon-to-be 33-year-old walk in free agency next March.
Extensions and restructures:
Gladstone was not on the helm when the Jaguars spent the primary overall pick within the 2022 draft on Walker. That was Trent Baalke, who selected Walker over fellow pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. While Hutchinson has been the higher player for the reason that Lions took him with the second pick, Walker has now won over two regimes in Jacksonville.
Gladstone telegraphed Walker’s extension in January, saying: “The thing that I actually appreciate in watching Travon move is how much he loves this place, how much he loves his teammates. That just seeps out of his soul. Those are the style of people you should align yourself with. It’s the style of players that we wish to be certain that which might be still in our constructing moving forward.”
The 25-year-old Walker is now top 10 amongst edge defenders in total value (seventh), average annual salary (seventh) and guarantees (eighth). In a world with an ever-rising cap, it’s reasonable money for a player who has put together a solid profession.
Had the Jaguars allowed Walker to succeed in free agency next offseason, there’s a great probability he would have outdone the four-year, $120MM contract Jaelan Phillips signed with the Panthers in March. Phillips, 26, landed $80MM in guarantees despite past Achilles and ACL injuries that worn out the vast majority of two seasons (by way of total guarantees, Walker hit $75MM). While sacks aren’t the end-all, be-all stat, their production has been almost equivalent in that category. Phillips has notched 28 in 63 games during his five-year profession. Walker has racked up 27.5 over the identical variety of games.
Durability has been a strength for Walker, who has missed just five games in 4 years. Nonetheless, he was not the image of health in 2025. A broken left hand and a right knee injury limited Walker to 14 games, snapping a two-year streak of perfect attendance. A hobbled Walker was unable to approach a 3rd 10-sack season in a row, as he put up only 3.5. He also fell to forty second in pressures after rating top 25 in that department in each of the previous two seasons.
The Gladstone-led Jaguars consider a healthy Walker will return to (or outdo) his 2023-24 form. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made this bet. Between Walker’s pact and the five-year, $141.25MM extension Balke gave Josh Hines-Allen in 2024, Jacksonville is one in every of two teams with a pair of nine-figure EDGE contracts on the books (Pittsburgh is the opposite). Hines-Allen registered a team-high eight sacks in 2025, however the unit as an entire managed just 32. The Jaguars’ defense did almost all the things well last yr, but only five teams had fewer sacks. With a healthy Walker returning, improvement needs to be so as.
Also one in every of Baalke’s draftees, Strange joined the Jags as a second-rounder in 2023. He had a quiet rookie season because the third tight end behind Evan Engram and Luke Farrell, but his production took off in Yr 2. With an injured Engram out for eight games, Strange’s catch total soared from five to 40 in a one-year span. He added 411 yards (up from 35 as a rookie) and a pair of touchdowns over a full 17-game season.
The Jaguars released Engram in March 2025, leaving Strange as their go-to pass-catching tight end. A hip injury held Strange to 12 games, but he was as much as the duty when healthy. The 6-4, 253-pounder hauled in 46 of 60 targets for 540 yards and three TDs.
Lawrence posted a 120.1 passer rating when he targeted Strange, whose presence was clearly missed when he was on the shelf. When Strange was out of the lineup, Jacksonville went 2-3 and averaged 22.6 points per game. When he played, the team went a dominant 11-1 and scored 30.1 PPG. That was enough for Gladstone to fork over a large raise to the 25-year-old, though the Jags did higher on the deal than it first appeared.
Initial reports pegged it as a three-year agreement price “as much as” $48MM, including $25MM in guarantees. It seems the bottom value is $36MM, including a totally guaranteed $17MM. Strange now ranks just outside the highest 10 amongst TEs in total value, AAV and full guarantees. Though the Jaguars invested heavily in Strange’s position within the draft (more on that later), his extension makes it clear Gladstone and Coen see him as a core offensive weapon.
Free agency additions:
- Chris Rodriguez, RB: Two years, $10MM ($6.2MM guaranteed)
- Ameer Abdullah, RB: One yr, $1.3MM
- Quinton Bohanna, DT: One yr, $1.22MM
- Trystan Colon, OL: One yr, $1.22MM
- Dane Jackson, CB: One yr, $1.22MM
Adding up his carries (260) and catches (36), running back Travis Etienne amassed 296 touches in 2025. The four-year starter exceeded 1,000 yards on the bottom for the third time and scored 13 touchdowns (seven rushing, six receiving), but there was no indication Jacksonville made an actual push to re-sign him before free agency. Etienne accepted Latest Orleans’ four-year, $48MM offer shortly after the legal tampering period began March 9, leaving Gladstone to go looking for a reputable substitute to team with Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen.
The Jaguars got here near prying the very effective (but very injury-prone) J.K. Dobbins from the Broncos, but he stayed in Denver on a two-year, $16MM accord with $8MM guaranteed at signing. A few hours later, news of the Rodriguez signing broke. The three-year veteran and former Commander has far less tread on his tires than Etienne and Dobbins, having totaled just 198 carries and 6 catches in 35 games.
Last season was a profession yr for Rodriguez, who recorded personal bests in carries (112), yards (500; 4.5 YPC) and TDs (six). The 5-11, 224-pounder also tied electrifying Dolphins RB De’Von Achane for first within the league in yards after contact per rush (3.0), broke 13 tackles, and went with out a fumble for the second straight season.
Although the Commanders could have retained Rodriguez for around $3.5MM as a restricted free agent, they didn’t tender him a contract. That enabled the previous sixth-rounder to turn out to be an unrestricted free agent a yr early. Rodriguez took advantage of it by earning a raise in Jacksonville and reuniting with Coen, whom he thrived under in college.
Coen was Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in 2021, Rodriguez’s best season as a member of the Wildcats. With Coen calling the plays, Rodriguez ran 225 times for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. He added one other three receiving scores, though he only caught 13 passes. There’s nothing in his pro or college history that means he’s an actual threat as a receiver.
Rodriguez is now recovering from left foot surgery, but he’ll reportedly be a full participant when training camp begins in late July. Even when that proves to be the case, it’s fair to be skeptical in regards to the Jaguars’ backfield. Etienne was not a star-level back in Jacksonville, making it comprehensible the team passed on giving him a large second contract. Nonetheless, he was typically good for around 1,000 rushing yards and 40 receptions a yr. He’s at the very least a capable starter, and the Jaguars’ post-Etienne options may have to prove they’re as much as filling the void.
Tuten, a 2025 fourth-rounder, averaged an uninspiring 3.7 yards per carry on 83 attempts as a rookie. To his credit, he found the tip zone seven times (five rushing, two receiving). Nonetheless, he and Allen finished with just 10 catches apiece. Allen, a seventh-rounder in the identical draft class as Tuten, only had 23 carries during his 17-game rookie campaign.
No person spent less on outside free agents than the Jaguars. Other than Rodriguez, each of Abdullah, Bohanna, Colon and Jackson may have to fight for spots on the back end of the roster.
Re-signings:
Just a pair hours before the legal tampering window opened, the Jaguars kept Brown off the market with their most costly commitment of the day. A Jaguar since his profession began in 2022, Brown emerged as a seventh-round steal over the previous few years.
After going from a backup to a 10-game starter in 2024, he took on a good more outstanding role last season. Across 15 games and 12 starts, the 6-foot, 190-pound boundary corner led all Jaguars defensive backs in snap share (67.06%), deflected 12 passes and gave up a measly 74.3 passer rating on 68 targets. The performance impressed Pro Football Focus, which placed Brown twenty sixth amongst 102 corners.
The Jaguars brought in Gardeck, a longtime Cardinal, on a cheap one-year deal last summer. The move worked out for the Jaguars, who saw enough positives from Gardeck in 2025 to award him a raise on one other reasonably priced pact. The eight-year veteran tied profession highs in games (17), starts (eight) and snaps (695; 423 on defense, 272 on special teams). While lining up at a couple of different spots, Gardeck chipped in 48 tackles, 25 pressures, nine QB hits and a pair of.5 sacks. He missed a meager 2% of tackles in his first Jags season.
Morris, a former Bill, played in 14 games in his first yr in Jacksonville in 2025. They prevented Morris from exiting in free agency with an almost fully guaranteed one-year offer, though it appears the blocking specialist may have to fight for a roster spot. Strange and two rookie tight ends (second-rounder Nate Boerkircher and fifth-rounder Tanner Koziol) are locks to make the team. Either Morris or Hunter Long might be the odd man out if the Jaguars keep 4.
Notable losses:
- Dyami Brown, WR
- Travis Etienne, RB
- Cooper Hodges, G (waived)
- Austin Johnson, DT
- Devin Lloyd, LB
- Johnny Mundt, TE (released)
- Greg Newsome II, CB
- Emmanuel Ogbah, DE
- Tim Patrick, WR
- Dawuane Smoot, DE
- Andrew Wingard, S
We touched on the importance of Etienne’s departure earlier. Nonetheless, Lloyd often is the larger loss, having earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in his fourth and final season with the Jaguars.
A 2022 first-rounder, Lloyd was in position to hit free agency since the Jaguars declined his $14.75MM fifth-year option back in April 2025. It was comprehensible on the time, as teams seldom exercise the choice for off-ball linebackers. Nevertheless it seems Lloyd will earn an identical amount each year on the three-year, $42MM deal he signed with the Panthers in free agency. Lloyd said the Jaguars made him a proposal, though it’s unclear how much they were willing to pay.
During his four-year run in Jacksonville, Lloyd reached 100 tackles thrice and missed just five games. While Lloyd’s tackle total dropped to a career-low 81 in 15 games last season, he intercepted a personal-best five passes, including a 99-yard pick-six in a victory over the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs. He was also the one LB within the league to receive an 80-plus grade in run defense, pass rushing and coverage from PFF.
Despite Lloyd’s high-impact season, the Jaguars didn’t add anyone of note to switch him. It appears the relatively unproven duo of Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs will battle for the fitting to step in for Lloyd and begin alongside Foye Oluokun.
As a fourth-round rookie in 2023, Miller missed his rookie season with an Achilles injury. He began in nine of 15 games and made 80 tackles in 2024, but he only played 20% of defensive snaps over 17 contests last season. Miller fell to 38 tackles because of this, though he did haul in his first profession pick. His track record is brief, but he’s more established than Combs. A 2025 undrafted free agent from Wake Forest, Combs was almost exclusively a special-teamer during a 10-game rookie campaign.
Elsewhere on defense, the Jaguars unsurprisingly let Newsome go after they re-signed Montaric Brown. Newsome made a dozen starts after the Jaguars acquired him from the Browns for fellow corner Tyson Campbell last October, but he didn’t play well enough to earn a multiyear deal. He exited in free agency for the Giants’ one-year, $8MM offer, leaving Brown and Hunter because the Jaguars’ starters. The mix of Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones will handle slot duties, though each players are versatile enough to line up on the surface when needed.
The pliability of Lewis and Jones was especially useful with Hunter out of the image for many of his rookie yr. The previous Heisman Trophy-winning DB/WR played just 162 defensive snaps (he took 324 as a receiver) before tearing his right LCL in practice on Oct. 30. Hunter’s subsequent surgery got here with a six-month recovery, putting him on target for full participation in camp.
Set to think about more on defense than offense in his second yr, a healthy Hunter will provide an upgrade on Newsome if the success he had over a small variety of snaps in 2025 carries into this season. Opposing quarterbacks accomplished 9 of 18 attempts and posted a horrid 68.3 rating once they targeted Hunter, who made 15 tackles and deflected three passes.
Hunter was a ballhawk at Colorado, where he pulled in seven interceptions in two seasons. If he shows off similar playmaking ability this yr, it will help Jacksonville stay near the highest of the league in takeaways. The Jags ranked second in each turnovers (33) and INTs (22) last season, marking a shocking one-year turnaround from their 2024 totals (nine and 6, respectively). In keeping with Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Evaluation, the Jags were the primary team in history to leap from fewer than 10 turnovers to greater than 30 in a one-season span. It’s all of the more impressive they pulled off the feat despite minimal contributions from Hunter.
Wingard was a career-long Jaguar until he parlayed a productive 2025 showing right into a take care of the Cardinals in free agency. After serving as a backup for many of his first six seasons, Wingard took over as a 16-game starter in 2025. While playing the second-most snaps amongst Jaguars defenders (961), Wingard put up 84 tackles, a career-high nine passes defensed and an INT. Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough for the Jaguars to retain the 29-year-old.
Several weeks after Wingard moved to Arizona, the Jags drafted Jalen Huskey within the third round. In addition they have 2025 third-rounder Caleb Ransaw within the fold, though he missed his rookie yr with a foot injury. Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray are in line to start out, but Campanile used three-safety sets greater than most other D-coordinators in 2025. Huskey, Ransaw and Rayuan Lane may benefit if that continues.
Smoot, a 2017 third-rounder, played his first seven seasons in Jacksonville before a one-year stint in Buffalo in 2024. In Smoot’s return to the Jaguars last season, Campanile deployed him on 41% of snaps and rotated him in at a handful of D-line spots. The 31-year-old chipped in 23 tackles, 15 pressures, five QB hits and two sacks in a depth role, but he has gone unsigned since free agency opened in March. John Oehser of Jaguars.com suggested in June that Jacksonville is unlikely to re-sign Smoot.
Dyami Brown spent his first 4 years in Washington, where he averaged roughly 20 catches, 200 yards and a TD per season. Despite Brown’s unspectacular output, the Jaguars handed him a guaranteed $10MM in free agency last yr. It went down as a poor use of cash, as Brown played 14 games and principally matched his profession averages with 20 grabs, 227 yards and a rating. He has since gone back to the Commanders in free agency, while Patrick joined the Jets. Those two combined for 35 catches, 414 yards and 4 TDs on the back end of the Jaguars’ depth chart in 2025.
With Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington, the Jaguars’ receiving corps stays in tremendous shape at the highest. Hunter will even factor into the combination in some capability, though there are legitimate depth concerns behind him. Chandler Brayboy, Tim Jones, Ben Patterson, Austin Trammell, rookie sixth-rounders CJ Williams and Josh Cameron, and UDFAs Brady Boyd, Trebor Peña and Michael Wortham are the team’s only other wideouts under contract. Jones and Trammell, who’ve combined for just 29 receptions in 84 games, are the lone members of that nine-man group who’ve ever caught a pass within the NFL.
Draft:
- Round 2, No. 56: Nate Boerkircher (TE, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 81 (from Lions): Albert Regis (DT, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 88: Emmanuel Pregnon (G, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 100 (from Lions)*: Jalen Huskey (S, Maryland) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 119 (from Panthers): Wesley Williams (EDGE, Duke) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 164: Tanner Koziol (TE, Houston) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 191 (from Chiefs via Patriots): Josh Cameron (WR, Baylor) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 203 (from Eagles via Texans and Eagles): CJ Williams (WR, Stanford) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 233 (from Lions): Zach Durfee (EDGE, Washington) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 240: Parker Hughes (LB, Middle Tennessee State) (signed)
The Jaguars included their 2026 first-rounder within the package to maneuver up and draft Hunter a yr ago. Consequently, they’d to attend until No. 56 to make their first selection this yr.
The Jaguars strayed removed from the consensus board once they used the pick on Boerkircher, a capable blocking tight end who caught just 38 passes and 4 touchdowns over five college seasons and 52 games between Nebraska and Texas A&M. The team anticipated a serious run on the position around that a part of the draft, which played a job in its surprising decision to take Boerkircher. That proved correct, as five other TEs went between picks 54 and 73.
Fair or not, Boerkircher is widely considered a reach. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had Boerkircher as his 116th-ranked prospect going into the draft, though he complimented the 6-5, 245-pounder’s pass-catching and blocking skills. Boerkircher will immediately replace Johnny Mundt, whom the Jaguars released in March. Because the Jaguars’ TE2 in 2025, Mundt played 33% of offensive snaps and caught nine passes in 16 games. Judging by Coen’s post-draft comments, the Jaguars expect Boerkircher to contribute greater than Mundt did as a receiver.
“[Boerkircher is] the style of player, style of individual that we’re attempting to hunt up here,” Coen said. “Attitude, toughness. Mentally and physically tough. I believe has rather a lot more in his body than was probably displayed throughout the season once they were throwing the ball rather a lot to those wideouts. Every opportunity he had throughout the offseason process to go put it on tape that he could and that there was that in his body and that he did have those capabilities, it showed up in a serious way.”
The Jaguars continued to show heads once they spent the 81st pick on Regis, a 6-1, 295-pound nose tackle who was not projected to come back off the board as quickly as he did. While rating Regis because the 132nd-best prospect in the category, Brugler lauded his abilities against the run but dinged him for a scarcity of length and a dearth of pass-rushing skills. Regis, who was teammates with Boerkircher last yr, combined for 85 tackles, six TFLs and a pair of.5 sacks in 26 games during his last two seasons at Texas A&M.
Regis will begin his pro profession as a backup to the mammoth Hamilton, a 6-4, 335-pounder who was integral to the Jaguars’ No. 1-ranked rushing defense in 2025. If Hamilton leaves as a free agent in 2027, the Jaguars may have to come to a decision if Regis is ready to take over as a starter in his second yr.
Formerly with Wyoming, USC and Oregon, Pregnon was a four-year starting guard in college. He played three of those seasons, including last yr, on the left side. After earning second-team All-Big Ten honors at USC in 2024, Pregnon transferred to rival Oregon for his final college campaign. Over 15 games with the Geese, Pregnon took only one penalty and didn’t allow a sack. He was a first-team All-American who also earned a first-team All-Big Ten nod for his efforts. Brugler rated Pregnon because the 57th-best prospect within the draft, writing that the 6-4, 314-pounder “checks the boxes for size, power and competitive demeanor that NFL team.”
With left guard Ezra Cleveland going into the last yr of his contract, it seems likely that Pregnon will take over as a starter in Jacksonville by 2027 at the newest. If the Jaguars would favor to utilize Pregnon on the fitting side, they might release Patrick Mekari in ’27 and open up beneficial cap room.
Other:
Because the twenty seventh overall pick in 2023, Harrison became an instantaneous right tackle starter who held the job through his second season. Coen got here in last yr and suggested Harrison was at risk of a demotion to the bench, however the 6-4, 315-pounder held off Chuma Edoga for the No. 1 spot. Not only did Harrison go on to start out in all 15 appearances, but PFF ranked him as the sport’s Twenty ninth-best tackle out of 84 qualifiers. It was an indication of continued improvement for Harrison, whom PFF ranked 67th as a rookie and fiftieth in his second yr.
The Jaguars liked Harrison’s performance enough to lock in his 2027 option for a totally guaranteed $19.02MM. They may extend Harrison before then, though there isn’t a word on whether or not they have begun talks.
On the defensive side, the Jaguars were reportedly a part of the Crosby derby in March before the Raiders agreed to trade him to the Ravens for 2 first-round picks. That blockbuster quickly fell apart because of the Ravens’ concerns over Crosby’s left knee. The Raiders have held on to Crosby since then. Even in the event that they traded the five-time Pro Bowler before the draft, the Jaguars were all the time fighting an uphill battle to amass him. They might have needed to get ultra-creative with out a 2026 first-rounder to incorporate in a proposal. A source told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that the Jaguars never seriously pursued a Crosby trade, and it seems that ship has sailed within the wake of Walker’s extension.
Thomas has come up in trade rumors on a couple of occasions in recent months, however the Jaguars reportedly never had interest in trading him. Gladstone publicly shot down the opportunity of dealing Thomas in March, calling the speculation “fraudulent.” By retaining Thomas, the Jaguars are betting on the soon-to-be 24-year-old putting a sophomore slump behind him this season.
As a first-round pick in 2024, Baalke’s final draft, Thomas burst on the scene with 87 receptions, 1,282 yards and 10 TDs. He went to the Pro Bowl and finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Yr voting. The Jaguars likely expected similar or higher production in 2025, but Thomas stumbled to 48 catches, 707 yards and two scores in 14 games. The 6-2, 209-pounder also registered an 11% drop rate, greater than doubling his 5.3% rookie mark. Provided that Hunter’s role as a receiver will diminish in 2026, it’s much more crucial for Thomas to regain his first-year form.
The Jaguars attempted so as to add Bobo to their Thomas-fronted receiving corps in restricted free agency, however the reigning champion Seahawks thwarted those plans once they matched the Jags’ two-year, $7MM offer sheet.
Landing in Jacksonville would have reunited Bobo with Jaguars passing game coordinator Shane Waldron, the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator throughout the wideout’s rookie yr in 2023. Bobo caught 19 of 25 targets for 196 yards and two TDs that yr. All of those numbers remain profession highs for Bobo, who would have given the Jaguars some back-end receiving depth and a core special-teamer.
Top 10 cap charges for 2026:
- Trevor Lawrence, QB: $24MM
- Josh Hines-Allen, DE: $23.4MM
- Arik Armstead, DT: $19.39MM
- Foyesade Oluokun, LB: $17.11MM
- Walker Little, T: $14.5MM
- DaVon Hamilton, DT: $12.45MM
- Ezra Cleveland, G: $11.42MM
- Travis Hunter, CB/WR: $10.6MM
- Travon Walker, DE: $9.41MM
- Patrick Mekari, RG: $7.39MM
The offseason was anything but flashy for the Jaguars, who’re content to run it back with an identical roster and training staff. They’re legitimate candidates to make the playoffs and go on an extended run, but within the meantime, winning the AFC South should present an even bigger challenge than it did in 2025. The Texans proceed to appear to be one in every of the league’s best teams, while the Colts will return with a healthier roster than they fielded during a disastrous second half in 2025. The Titans probably won’t be within the running for a playoff spot, but after an aggressive offseason, they not resemble the 6-28 doormats they were from 2024-25.
Considering where the Jags were after the 2024 season, their standing following 2025 is remarkable. A franchise that had not won greater than 10 games in a season since 2007 and had just once surpassed 12 (their 14-2 1999 slate) reached 13 wins. One-sided victories over the playoff-bound Broncos and Chargers represented an eye-opening a part of the Coen-Gladstone regime’s first yr. Expectations now await, marking a long-desired status change for Jacksonville. Will the young decisionmakers give you the chance to construct on that surprising season in Yr 2?