Jaguars Have One Last Preseason Problem To Sort Out Before Cuts

With a pivotal preseason finale against the Buccaneers, the Jaguars are set to test their roster depth amidst injuries and make crucial lineup decisions ahead of the regular season.

Liam Coen gets one more preseason look at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday night, and it comes against a team he knows well. The Jaguars close out their preseason schedule against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the club Coen served as offensive coordinator for before heading 200 miles north.

It’s the last dress rehearsal before the roster gets trimmed to 53 players, and Jacksonville still has work to do up front. The offensive line protecting Trevor Lawrence has been hit hard by injuries, and that’s not the only concern. Starting receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers have also been banged up.

There’s another name to watch on the Tampa Bay side: Baker Mayfield. He played in the Bucs’ previous preseason game, and if he sees the field again, it would give the Jaguars defense another chance to get work in against a veteran quarterback. That matters for rookies and other newcomers trying to make a final impression before Sunday’s cuts.

Jaguars vs. Buccaneers will air on WFOX, Fox Channel 30, with streaming available on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.

Kickoff is set for Friday, Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET from EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville has already finished two preseason games, opening with a 24-20 win over New Orleans on Saturday, Aug. 15, before falling 34-17 at Carolina on Friday, Aug. 21. The matchup with Tampa Bay is the final game on the 2026 preseason slate.

The Jaguars’ 2026 regular-season schedule begins Sept. 13 at home against Cleveland at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. Their first six games also include trips to Denver, Cincinnati and Baltimore, plus home dates with New England and Philadelphia in London, and Houston in London.

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Travis Hunter's Jaguars Role Is Raising One Huge Question

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Hunters role is already becoming one of the more interesting questions hanging over Jacksonvilles preseason build. The Jaguars have made clear they want him on both offense and defense, but the recent practice pattern points to a heavier defensive load in the near term, leaving his offensive usage still to be determined as the games start to matter more. [Read more 🡒]

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Among the players worth watching are undrafted rookies Joey Aguilar and Trebor Pea, both of whom have already turned enough heads to merit a closer look in the finale. Head coach Liam Coen said Aguilar had a good showing in the previous preseason game, which only adds to the intrigue as Jacksonville sorts through the final decisions before the regular season starts. [Read more 🡒]

Jaguars Fringe Players Have One Last Shot To Force Tough Decisions

The Jaguars get one more preseason chance to sort through a roster that still has a few real questions attached to it, as Tampa Bay comes to EverBank Stadium with kickoff serving as another checkpoint for players trying to make a late impression. It is the kind of August game that matters less for the scoreboard than for the names on the field, especially with the cutdown date looming and a regular-season opener not far behind.

For Jacksonville, the intrigue is concentrated in the spots where jobs still feel open, with competition brewing at running back, right tackle and defensive tackle. The Buccaneers have the edge on paper, but the Jaguars are more focused on the internal math, and this meeting offers one last extended look before the front office has to start turning preseason evaluation into hard decisions. [Read more 🡒]