The Jacksonville Jaguars are no longer trying to climb out of the league’s basement. That part, at least, was handled in a hurry.
Now comes the harder test.
After turning a 4-13 season in 2024 into a 13-4 breakthrough, the Jaguars enter this year trying to prove the surge was real. Coach Liam Coen became an overnight sensation.
Trevor Lawrence finished as an MVP finalist. Respectability arrived.
But as the team heads toward training camp on July 28, the next step is the one that separates a feel-good season from something lasting: showing it can do it again, and do it in January.
The good news for Jacksonville is that this isn’t a teardown or a reset. It’s a return trip.
Of the 47 players who logged snaps in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, 38 are still on the roster. And among the 22 projected starters for the opener, only one - running back Chris Rodriguez - was not on the team a year ago.
That kind of continuity is the foundation of the Jaguars’ plan. Coen, general manager James Gladstone and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli built this roster with internal improvement in mind.
The idea was shaped by necessity as much as philosophy. With the salary cap in mind for 2027 and beyond, Jacksonville couldn’t chase every big name on the market or spend future draft capital for a quick fix.
The front office also resisted the temptation to mortgage the future for instant gratification.
That doesn’t mean the Jaguars think they’ve solved everything. Far from it.
The message around the building is that the same team won’t automatically produce the same results. Coen’s word is “attack,” and the numbers from last season explain why.
The offense has to run the ball better, clean up pre-snap penalties and push the ball downfield more often. The defense needs more sacks while still holding up against the run and continuing to create takeaways.
That’s the assignment. And it comes with real pressure, even if the current mood around Jacksonville is a welcome change from the old days.
There’s no mistaking the difference. For years, July in Jacksonville meant hoping for hope.
It meant getting ready for disappointment before the leaves even turned. This version feels lighter, louder and a lot more fun.
Trevor and Jakobi. Josh and Travon.
Brenton and Parker. Buster and Travis.
Foye and BTJ. The Jaguars have names people know now, along with the jersey numbers and the backstories that come with a team that has finally earned attention.
The challenge is turning that attention into something permanent.
The schedule won’t make it easy. Jacksonville opens with Denver, New England and Cincinnati in its first four weeks, and the logistics get tricky too, with two games in London and a later three-game road swing. That’s a lot to manage for a team trying to keep momentum intact.
There are also roster questions that will follow the Jaguars into camp. Travis Hunter is expected to be a two-way player who wants to do everything, and he has national media voices pushing for that role even as he returns from a serious knee injury.
Then there’s the balancing act that comes with one football and as many as nine skill-position players who believe they can make plays. That kind of talent is a gift, but it also asks for careful handling.
Still, the standard in Jacksonville has changed. Last year’s breakthrough means the bar is no longer simply being competitive. The floor should be another AFC South title and a first-round playoff win.
That’s the point of all this. The Jaguars have already shown they can surprise people. Now they have to show they belong in the conversation every year, the way teams in Kansas City, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Los Angeles do.
The franchise has had flashes before - playoff trips in 2005, 2007, 2017 and 2022 were followed by seasons of eight, five, five and nine wins - but it never stayed there. This time, the Jaguars are trying to convince their fans that the ride is just beginning.
Training camp starts the next phase. The Browns on Sept. 13 will arrive fast enough. And for Jacksonville, that’s the whole point.
Welcome to The Fun, Jaguars fans.
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Mauros father had already confirmed the death and asked for prayers, but the new details have made the story even harder to absorb. The police report describes a night of partying before Mauro died, and investigators were left to sort through a scene that pointed to drug use and a sudden, unexplained collapse, leaving the former defenders final chapter under an unsettling spotlight. [Read more 🡒]