NFL
Season Outlook:
Jacksonville is coming off the greatest turnaround in franchise history, an AFC South title and a 13-4 finish that delivered the Jaguars' first playoff berth since 2022. Liam Coen inherited a 4-13 disaster and became the first rookie head coach to win at least 12 games. After a shaky start, he turned his team into a contender by season’s end. That improvement raises the bar.. A tougher 2026 schedule gives the Jags a real challenge in proving they are legit.
What's Changed:
The biggest loss came when lead running back Travis Etienne left in free agency for New Orleans. The Jags replenished their backfield by signing former Commander Chris Rodriguez Jr. to back up Bhayshul Tuten. Edge rusher Travon Walker returns on a four-year, $110 million extension with $77 million guaranteed as Jacksonville locks up its best defender long-term.
Bigger Role & Sophomore Breakout:
Tuten rushed for 307 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. With Etienne gone, the 2025 fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech gets the lead role. But there’s no candidate more likely to emerge in his second year than Travis Hunter. Fully recovered after a knee injury cost him the final 10 games of 2025, the two-way sensation posted 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown as a receiver, plus 15 tackles and three passes defensed at cornerback. Expectations for what he can do over a full season are still high.
Key Question:
Will the turnover margin balance out? Last year, the Jags had 13 more takeaways than giveaways and a league-leading 110 points off of 31 turnovers. History suggests that kind of variance doesn’t maintain. It’s not to suggest Jacksonville’s defense won’t be effective or the offense won’t be as secure with the football, but there’s bound to be some regression towards the mean.
Prediction:
Jacksonville encounters a tough early schedule with four of the first six games against 2025 playoff teams. A slow start won’t be as easy to get out of this time, but the Jags manage to go 9-8 and snag the last Wild Card spot. The running game with Tuten as the lead back will prove to be a downgrade over Etienne. However, the combination of Coen and Lawrence continues to have positive effects.
X-Factor:
As Trevor Lawrence went, so did the Jaguars. His passing efficiency and overall maturity in the second half of the season directly reflected Jacksonville’s success. Once he figured out Coen’s offensive scheme, his positive strides became apparent. Any backslide and the arrow that was trending up for the Jags will flatten somewhat. If Lawrence keeps playing like he did late in 2025, Jacksonville's ceiling gets raised considerably.
Final Scorecard
- Offense: 8
- Defense: 7
- Coaching: 8
- X-Factor Upside: 8
- Schedule Strength: 5