The Jaguars have built one of the NFL’s better special teams groups under Heath Farwell, and the unit enters training camp with the kind of stability most teams would envy. Logan Cooke and Ross Matiscik are locked in after their Pro Bowl seasons, Farwell has already earned a promotion, and the whole operation feels settled.
But even a well-run third phase has a few loose ends.
The biggest one is the return game, where Parker Washington and Bhayshul Tuten were both major factors a year ago. Washington, in particular, changed games with two punt return touchdowns. The catch now is that both players are expected to have much bigger offensive roles than they did at this point last year, which raises the obvious question: can they keep doing double duty?
Washington still looks like the likeliest answer on punts. The Jaguars have spent the offseason talking up his return ability, and Farwell made that pretty clear in June.
"I love Parker back there. I think we'll just try and have to see how that plays out with the roster and how that looks come Week 1.
And it may be changing throughout the season. There may be games when we need a big play and he's back there and there's other times when we'll provide a big play from somebody else," Farwell said.
"So, I think Parker's back there as the punt returner if we can, but we're going to make great decisions as a team, as an organization. If he is the top target for us as I'd imagine he will be, what does that look like for special teams?
We'll figure it out, but we have plenty of guys that can return. We have a good group, so I'm confident and comfortable where we're at if it's not Parker.”
On kick returns, Josh Cameron looks like a possible answer.
Then there’s Cam Little, who spent 2025 putting together a season that only added to his growing reputation. He opened with a 70-yard field goal in the preseason, worked through an early slump, then went more than two months without missing a field goal. He also drilled a 68-yard kick to set the NFL record, then followed it with a 67-yarder in the final game of the regular season.
That kind of leg changes the conversation. Little has already shown he can hit from absurd distance in a game setting, and with Liam Coen in place, the Jaguars have a coach who appears willing to trust him. A regular-season attempt from beyond the record books feels like a matter of when, not if.
The rest of special teams could also decide roster spots. That was true last year, when players like Danny Striggow and B.J.
Green made the team in part because they could help on coverage units. It could be just as important this summer.
A few names stand out in that fight: Jabbar Muhammad trying to beat out Christian Braswell, Jack Kiser and possibly Parker Hughes competing for a spot, Jalen McLeod going against veteran special teams ace Yasir Abdullah, and even a return-game role that could matter for a player like J'Mari Taylor.
That’s why the preseason matters so much for this group. Most of those fringe players are expected to get plenty of work in those three games, while the Jaguars’ starters are unlikely to play. For a unit with a lot of established pieces, the hidden battles are still very much alive.
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Jaguars Early Roster Prediction Puts Two Familiar Veterans On The Bubble
An early look at the Jaguars 53-man roster picture has already put a couple of familiar veterans in an uncomfortable spot. ESPNs Michael DiRocco left tight end Hunter Long and offensive lineman Chuma Edoga off his projection, a sign that both players are facing real competition as Jacksonville sorts through a deeper, younger group around them.
Longs path looks crowded by Brenton Strange and a wave of newcomers at tight end, while Edoga is battling a numbers game on the offensive line after the Jaguars added more talent up front. If those roster decisions hold, Jacksonville would also gain some salary cap flexibility, which only adds another layer to two spots that already look far from secure. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars 53-Man Projection Puts One Familiar Name In Real Danger
John Shipleys latest 53-man projection offers a reminder that the Jaguars roster math is getting tighter as camp moves along, especially in the middle and back end of the depth chart. The exercise touches plenty of spots that still feel unsettled, from quarterback depth behind Trevor Lawrence to the running back mix and the tight end room, where competition has already started to sort out who fits and who does not.
One of the more notable takeaways is how little margin there appears to be for recent additions and draft picks once the final cuts arrive. Jacksonville has usually found room for its rookies, but this projection leaves a seventh-round selection on the outside looking in, and it also puts a familiar name in a precarious spot on the offensive line. Those are the kinds of decisions that can reshape the last few weeks of camp, because the Jaguars still have a few position battles that could swing the entire makeup of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Linked To Veteran Help As Camp Pressure Builds
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If the team does decide to dip into free agency, a few familiar names fit the bill. Haason Reddick would bring edge pressure at a lower cost, Bobby Okereke would give the Jaguars another experienced linebacker next to Foyesade Oluokun, and Denico Autry stands out as the most intriguing option if Jacksonville wants more disruption inside. No move has happened yet, but the fact that those names are even in the conversation says plenty about where the pressure points still are. [Read more 🡒]