Jaguars Slammed With Brutal Take for WR Contract

The Jacksonville Jaguars are being taken to task for some contracts they handed out last NFL offseason, including one for Gabe Davis.

Oct 27, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (0) before the game against the Green Bay Packers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a couple of big signings last offseason, landing wide receiver Gabe Davis and defensive lineman Arik Armstead on lucrative deals.

Davis received a three-year, $39 million contract, and Armstead secured a three-year, $43.3 million pact, and both players were expected to play significant roles in 2024.

Instead, Davis logged just 20 catches in 10 games before going down with a season-ending injury, and Armstead registered just 29 tackles and a couple of sacks in one of his least productive campaigns in years.

Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated has put the Jaguars on blast for their two misplaced signings, dubbing them two of the top five worst contracts that were handed out last year.

"In this instance, signing Davis for three years and $39 million ($1.25 million more than Barkley got over the same term) seemed like a bad idea from the start. It certainly proved to be," Verderame wrote

Verderame dubbed Davis a "colossal bust" for Jacksonville and also feels that the Jaguars may part ways with the wide out if he doesn't have a big year in 2025.

Both players were impactful for their previous teams, as Davis was a legitimate deep threat for the Buffalo Bills. But Davis' first season with the Jaguars was marred by injuries and a lack of production, and the Jaguars' offense ended up paying for it.

During the season, it became clear that his success with the Bills was perhaps due in part to being a bit of a one-trick pony who doesn't really offer a whole lot of versatility. It worked well with Josh Allen in the Buffalo Bills' offense, but it didn't translate to the 2024 season for Davis.

The Jaguars need Davis to have a much better showing in his second year in the wide receiver room. There is always the chance that new head coach Liam Coen can get the most out of him from a production standpoint, but right now this is a deal that is not aging well.

Jacksonville is set to release Christian Kirk this week, so the Jaguars will absolutely need to find another wide receiver in order to guard against another poor season by Davis.

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