Well Jags fans… it’s over.
The season can be perfectly summarized in a quote by Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
It’s easy to feel sad because of the anticlimactic ending. A week after beating the doors off of a division rival, which clinched the AFC South, they lost at home in front of a sellout crowd (in classic Jaguars fashion). It felt like, finally, when the media and fans started to respect us, the Jaguars rolled over.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, there is still so much optimism. We just went 13-4 with a rookie head coach, rookie coordinators, AND our first round pick missed more than half of the season with an LCL tear. We went on the road and beat San Francisco, beat the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes at home on Monday Night, and won 7/8 of our division matchups. Simply put, this Jaguars team was one of the best Jaguars teams of all time.
What makes this offseason so nerve-racking is that success has never been easy to maintain in Jacksonville. But, if the Jaguars staff follows our advice, I’m sure they will replicate the success they found in 2025 and even possibly bring home their first-ever Super Bowl trophy.
These last few years, our coaching carousel has been absolute chaos. After this past season, many teams made strong considerations to hire offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.
Udinski conducted two interviews with the Cleveland Browns and was believed to be a frontrunner candidate for that job. He also had an interview with the Buffalo Bills. Although he does not call plays, Udinski was a huge part in the success of the Jags offense this year, through his contributions to the new offensive scheme. And just recently, it was announced that he would be returning to the Jaguars next season. This move was major for QB Trevor Lawrence, who has never had coaching consistency in his career. In fact, this next season will mark the first time in his career that his head coach, offensive coordinator, and passing game coordinator stay.
Unlike Udiniski, Campanile ran the show on the Jacksonville defense and brought a new culture that this group needed. The Miami Dolphins expressed interest and interviewed him, but they hired Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to be their next head coach. Also, the Arizona Cardinals interviewed him and expressed interest, but Campanile negotiated a deal to return to the Jaguars in 2026. Getting both coordinators back makes the future for our Jags very promising.
One of the biggest questions every fan has on their minds is, “Who will the Jaguars re-sign?” The notable Jaguars that will become free agents this offseason include Montaric Brown, Dennis Gardeck, Andrew Wingard, Travis Etienne, and Devin Lloyd. With the Jaguars having the ninth-lowest salary cap, it will be impossible to retain all of these guys, especially Devin Lloyd. However, if they restructure guys like Arik Armstead, they could free up some cap space. Also, getting rid of the Baalke blunder, Walker Little (15 million) would help out a lot.
Even though the Jaguars had a terrific season, there are still some missing pieces to fill on this team. It would be a huge success if we could get secondary and offensive linemen out of the free agency market, as these players are more proven compared to drafted players. Greg Newsome was a hard watch this year, especially during the Bills game. He allowed 5 receptions on 5 targets for 59 yards.
The most important part of this offseason is the 2026 NFL Draft. The draft for the Jaguars this year is going to be a lot different from the past. Instead of picking early in the first round like they normally do, they currently do not pick until pick 60 (thanks to the Travis Hunter trade). This is going to be a real test for Gladstone and company on what hidden talents they can find in the draft. Depending on how free agency and contracts go, the draft could go many different ways for the Jaguars.
Regardless of how the draft goes, the Jaguars need to target the offensive line. We saw clearly this season that when a starter goes down, the Jags have no good options on the bench. For example, the Bills game: starter Cole Van Lanen ruled out at the last second with a knee injury, and Walker Little had to come in, who gave up three pressures with two false starts. Outside of the offensive line, it would be beneficial for the Jaguars to add some secondary and possibly another linebacker if Devin Lloyd does not return.
Even with the disappointing end in Jacksonville, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the future of this team. This is the first offseason in a while where we’re counting the days to the next season. And possibly, this time next year, we might be looking at some Jacksonville Jaguars 2026 Super Bowl Champions merch.
