5 Observations on Jaguars' First Practice Squad: Quinn Ewers Deal Already Ages Well

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The waiver wire claims are over, the 53-man rosters have been set, and now the practice squad is being pieced together.

The Jaguars added players to 15-of-17 available slots on the practice squad on Monday afternoon, and we now have an idea of what most of the group is set to look like moving forward.

So, what do we make of the Jaguars' practice squad in the wake of the 53-man roster announcement on Sunday? We break it all down below, starting with some interesting decisions the Jaguars opted to make at the backup quarterback spots on the depth chart.

The Quinn Ewers Deal Already Makes Sense

Aug 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) leaves the field at the end of a preseason game against the New York Giants at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Jaguars able to keep Nick Mullens on the practice squad a day after releasing him, the trade they made for Quinn Ewers on Saturday evening makes even more sense. The Jaguars were able to improve their overall quarterback depth by simply swapping out Carter Bradley for Ewers, and all it cost them to do so was essentially a 2028 seventh-round pick thanks to Sunday's Hunter Long trade.

A quarterback room that has Mullens as its No. 3 quarterback instead of the No. 2 quarterback is good news for the Jaguars. There is no gurantee Ewers will be any more capable of lifting the offense if Trevor Lawrence ever goes down with an injury, but the Jaguars at least have an improved room and more non-Mullens options to turn to in that event. Mullens getting signed back to the practice squad is a win.

Jaguars Get Good News on 3 Tough Cuts

jalen mcleo — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Jalen McLeod (35) sprints during the third day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is a cycle that happens every season. A team waives a few players who made exciting plays during training camp or the preseason, and the instant reaction is "What if they get claimed?". The reality is that the vast, vast majority of players who do not make 53-man rosters do not get claimed. Heck, the Dolphins are the only reason the number of claims got into the 20s this year.

Still, it is good for the Jaguars that they were able to retain the trio of second-year defenders they waived on Sunday in cornerback Jabbar Muhammad and linebackers Jack Kiser and Jalen McLeod. Kiser and McLeod are recent draft picks, and Muhammad had a standout spring and summer at cornerback, Getting them to stay in the system for another year is a big deal for their development, and each could easily crack the 53 a year from now.

The Most Interesting Rookie Retained

Aug 2, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back J’mari Taylor (30) participates in training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars kept a number of undrafted rookies on the practice squad, and you never know what these players can turn into. Branson Combs was an undrafted rookie kept on last year's practice squad, and a year later he easily became a lock for the 53-man roster and a big promotion on the defensive depth chart. So, which one of the Jaguars' rookies this year do I think could follow in those same footsteps a year from now?

The one that comes right to my mind is running back J'Mari Taylor. He flashed some legit traits both in training camp and the preseason, and the Jaguars could easily promote him to the active roster in a year in place of Ameer Abdullah if he takes a big leap in his second season. Keeping Taylor around despite keeping four running backs on the active roster is a positive development for the Jaguars.

Joey Aguilar Won His Battle

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Joey Aguilar (17) looks to pass during the fourth quarter of an NFL preseason football matchup at EverBank Stadum on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars blanked the Buccaneers 19-0. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

No, Joey Aguilar is not the Jaguars' QB3. But he still ended up winning the quarterback battle with Carter Bradley, because it does not seem like the Jaguars would have kept him in the fold as their fourth quarterback if they did not like what they see. Bradley was dealing with an injury since he was released with an injury designation, but Aguilar won this spot in the preseason.

Aguilar is several steps away from ever seeing the field for the Jaguars in a real game, but that is more than fine. He can develop inside the building this year and come back out next offseason to attempt to move up the depth chart. This was a positive undrafted free agent addition.

The Yasir Abdullah Claim

yasir abdyulla — Aug 15, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) scrambles from the pocket and fumbles the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Yasir Abdullah (56) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The only player the Jaguars waived who was claimed on waivers on Monday was surprisingly linebacker Yasir Abdullah, who is now heading to the Atlanta Falcons. Abdullah is a good special teams player who can play in a variety of schemes, but it is worth noting he was not on my list of predictions for the practice squad.

Abdullah had a fine run with the Jaguars, but the fact they only kept 1 SLB on the active roster suggests the position is not all that valuable to the Jaguars' scheme. This means only one such player had to be left on the practice squad, and all signs pointed to McLeod being that player.

Add us as a preferred source on Google