The Jaguars left Friday night with a 34-17 preseason loss to the Panthers, but the game still offered a useful snapshot of who helped themselves and who didn’t.
Ameer Abdullah made one of the clearest cases for upward momentum. He stayed productive against Carolina, rushing six times for 7.5 yards per carry and adding three catches for 37 yards. With LeQuint Allen sidelined, Abdullah showed he can handle the third-down role in Jacksonville’s backfield.
Trebor Pena also kept building his case. The undrafted rookie wideout led the Jaguars with 72 receiving yards on four catches and scored a touchdown, turning in another strong preseason showing.
The rookie receiver group had a good night overall. CJ Williams and Josh Cameron combined for six receptions and 63 yards while seeing limited action, and both continue to make it harder to keep them buried on the depth chart at a position already crowded with talent.
Nick Mullens bounced back after a rough outing in New Orleans. Against Carolina, he completed 6 of 7 passes for 65 yards, good for 9.3 yards per attempt, and even picked up a first down with his legs to help extend a drive.
On the defensive side, Jahlani Tavai added some juice as a blitzer. He finished with two quarterback hits and six total tackles, giving the Jaguars another reminder of the experience he brings on defense and special teams.
Not everything tilted upward. Jacksonville’s cornerback depth took a hit in this one, with the Panthers’ quarterbacks throwing 34 passes and the Jaguars’ defensive backs not coming up with a single pass breakup. Carolina’s trio of quarterbacks finished 24-of-35 for 238 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The pass rush depth also had a quiet night. The Jaguars didn’t record a sack and had just five quarterback hits, four of them coming from linebackers or cornerbacks. After a strong showing in New Orleans, that part of the defense didn’t generate consistent pressure on Friday.
Carter Bradley had another rough preseason outing, completing fewer than half his passes while averaging just 3.9 yards per attempt and throwing another interception. Joey Aguilar, meanwhile, went 9-for-10 for 130 yards and a touchdown.
In Other News...
Cam Little Is Suddenly Part Of A Wild New NFL Debate
Harrison Butkers 69-yard bomb in a 2026 preseason game added a fresh wrinkle to a very specific NFL conversation, even if it will not show up in the record book. Preseason kicks always come with an asterisk, but the moment still put a spotlight on the rarefied air Cam Little already occupies for Jacksonville, after drilling the longest official regular-season field goal in league history at 68 yards in 2025.
Littles mark now sits in an odd little pocket of the sport, because Butkers kick was longer but unofficial, and the distinction matters in a game where the line between exhibition and history is everything. Butker has been in Kansas City since 2017 and remains one of the most accurate kickers the league has ever seen, which only adds to the curiosity around where this distance debate could go next for a Jaguars team that already knows its kicker belongs in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunter Gave Jaguars Fans A Wild Off Field Moment
Travis Hunter spent part of a recent police ride-along with Sheriff T.K. Waters getting a firsthand look at work far removed from the football field, as officers carried out a traffic stop that led to the recovery of a large quantity of illegal drugs. The scene offered a jarring reminder of what law enforcement deals with every day, and it also gave the Jaguars player a platform to speak directly to young viewers about avoiding drugs and making better choices.
Hunters off-field involvement has become part of the bigger picture around him as he heads toward his second NFL season, with the Jaguars continuing to see him as more than just a player preparing for Sundays. A ride-along like this does not come with box-score impact, but it does underline the kind of community presence he is building while staying visible in Jacksonville for reasons beyond football. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Loss Put A Few Surprise Roster Names In Focus
The Jaguars home preseason loss to the Panthers did not keep a few bubble players from making a case for themselves, and that is usually the part of August that matters most. Undrafted rookie Trebor Pena was among the most noticeable names on the field, leading Jacksonville in receptions and receiving yards while also finding the end zone, a useful reminder that the evaluation process is far from over even when the scoreboard goes the wrong way.
Jabbar Muhammad, listed on the second string, added six tackles in a busy showing on defense, while Ameer Abdullah topped the team in rushing yards and Michael Wortham was perfect when the ball came his way. Cam Little also handled his business, hitting all three of his field-goal tries, giving the Jaguars a few encouraging individual moments to sort through as they continue trimming the roster and deciding who is worth a closer look. [Read more 🡒]