11 Winners, 5 Losers From Jaguars' Loss to Panthers: Josh Cameron Steps Up

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are almost through the preseason, with Friday night serving as a keen reminder of just how long we have to go until Week 1.

The Jaguars fell to the Carolina Panthers 34-17 during the second week of the preseason, and a number of the Jaguars' depth players made an impression ... whether positively or not.

So, who were the winners and losers of Friday's preseason bout with the Panthers? We break it all down below.

Winners

Liam Coen

Liam Coen could have easily trotted the Jaguars starters out there, similar to what the Carolina Panthers did. But the risk/reward was never worth it, and as a result Coen and the Jaguars are entering next week without any new injuries to their 53-man roster candidates like they had the week before with Chuma Edoga. After a productive joint practice earlier in the week, Coen deserves credit for making the right call with the Jaguars' starting lineup by sitting them.

"I definitely liked what I saw from the joint practice," Coen said following Friday's game. "I was pleased with the physicality, the effort, the energy and a lot of the execution. There is a ton to continue to clean up here obviously. (The Joint Practice) was a step in the right direction as you look at – not necessarily milestones in Training Camp, but good moments (we) can draw on and say, ‘hey, that’s our brand of football’ on display against another quality opponent."

Branson Combs & Ventrell Miller

Both Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs played a decent bit on Friday, which is the same way the Jaguars approached it with the duo a week ago in New Orleans. Each had some flashes, such as Combs recording a quarterback hit to force a third-down incompletion and Miller making some physical plays against the run. But the real reason they are both winners is because of what Coen said after the game.

"I think at some point here, we're all going to understand they're both going to play. Like, they're both very different players. They both have different skill sets," Coen said.

"Whoever ends up being number one on the depth chart is obviously semantics in a lot of ways. I was pleased with Ventrell. I've been pleased with him for over the last few days. I thought he had a good Joint as well, but we're going to need both of them. We're going to need both of those guys to play significant snaps for us within their roles and within how the game on defense needs to be called and the offenses we're seeing, the situations that we're in. We're going to need them both. So, whoever ends up as number one, it's going to end up being a lot of reps for them both.

In short ... it does not matter who "starts". They have both earned some snaps in the Jaguars' defense moving forward, and Coen made that clear on Friday night.

Nick Mullens

Nick Mullens responded well this week after a tough outing against the New Orleans Saints. He was a bit injured at the start of the week but came back and had some of the best practices he has had all summer, and he then played well against the Panthers on Friday. Mullens was 6-of-7 for 65 yards, and would have been 7-for-7 with a touchdown pass as well had Ameer Abdullah not dropped a touchdown early in the contest in the red-zone. QB2 is here to stay.

"I thought he did some good things. They had not all their starters in but they did have some and I thought he was on time, in rhythm, getting the ball out," Coen said. "We catch the ‘choice’ (route) down at the goal line. We were going to be 7-7 at that point, right? And, you know, I thought Nick did a nice job. I thought they protected well when Nick was in as well early on and kind of got a little tired later on but for the most part I thought we protected fairly well as well."

Ameer Abdullah

No player did more for their case to be on the 53-man roster on Friday than veteran running back Ameer Abdullah. He was the Jaguars' offense against the Panthers, getting the starting nod after not suiting up a week ago against the Saints. With LeQuint Allen out for at least the rest of training camp, Abdullah is the one who is stepping up on the depth chart. Abdullah looked electric on Friday and could become a piece of the roster few saw coming when camp kicked off. If he can pass-protect, he will be in a good spot moving forward.

ANKLES

Ameer Abdullah goes for 23!#CARvsJAX on CBS47 pic.twitter.com/aJsTiDA5Bx
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 22, 2026

Josh Cameron & CJ Williams

The Jaguars' rookie receivers might be needed earlier than expected if Jakobi Meyers misses any time with a hand injury. The good news is that the Jaguars gave both Josh Cameron and CJ Williams the chance to make plays on Saturday, and each stepped up. The Jaguars completed all six targets to the sixth-round duo, and Cameron made one of the best plays of the entire night on a deep shot from Nick Mullens. These two just keep impressing.

"My boy @Josh_Cameron34 ballin'!"@TravisHunterJr on kicking FGs and more.#CARvsJAX on CBS47 pic.twitter.com/PUGiMIBCUx
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 22, 2026

"The guys (Josh and CJ) are such pros. They have a lot to learn, no question. But in terms of showing up early, leaving late, doing extra, being locked into the details, and understanding how to walk thru in some of the walk thru settings. And then they come out into the lights, and they make plays," Coen said Friday. "It’s good to see Josh make a one-on-one op that we’ve seen in practice a number of times. Nick gave him a good opportunity. CJ continuing to be steady. Those guys are earning trust for sure and they’re going to continue to earn more."

Joey Aguilar

Joey Aguilar didn't get much run in the first preseason game, but that changed on Friday when he was given several drives at the helm of the Jaguars' offense. He led the Jaguars to two scoring drives late and went 9-of-10 for 130 yards, showing off a willingness to test defenses deep and the ability to actually come through on the promise. He has a big arm and prototype size, and he certainly looked the part on Friday. It was his most impressive day as a Jaguar yet, and it will be interesting to see if he can now push for the QB3 job.

Bryan Thomas Jr.

The Jaguars found two undrafted gems at defensive end a year ago with Danny Striggow and B.J. Green, and there could be another one in 2026 with Bryan Thomas Jr. The South Carolina product has flashed all camp, had a good game last week against the Saints, and then came back on Friday and had another impressive outing. He is getting some consistent pressure, but he is also flashing against the run.

Trebor Peña

Trebor Peña led the Jaguars in receiving for the second week in a row, and he certainly seems like he is making a strong case for the practice squad. The undrafted wide receiver caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, and the Jaguars are quickly finding out that he has a solid back-and-forth with Aguilar when the lights come on.

"Yeah, proud of Pena, again, just continues to make plays being in the right spot at the right time. I think him and Joey have a natural little connection from working together, obviously, in a lot of these settings and practice," Coen said.

Michael Wortham

Another undrafted wide receiver who showed up was Michael Wortham, who caught three passes for 41 yards. Wortham has stood out at camp in recent days and the speedy slot receiver had a few standout reps against the Panthers, including some impressive yards after the catch on a wide receiver screen. He is another young receiver who looks like a natural candidate for the practice squad.

"I thought Michael Wortham did some nice things as well tonight. He's kind of been flashing a little bit. Got a lot of reps in the joint the other day as well and didn't flinch, didn't blink," Coen said.

Losers

Nate Boerkircher & Tanner Koziol

The Jaguars' pair of rookie tight ends didn't do anything disappointing in any form on Friday, but the lack of action for either was a bit disappointing since it seems like they simply need reps. Nate Boerkircher did not play, resting with the Jaguars' starters and other key players, so we are now through two preseason games without a target for the No. 56 pick. Tanner Koziol played 13 snaps, but he also did not get any look in the passing game. I know it is the preseason, but it feels like the Jaguars could have gotten something out of seeing the ball go to one of the young tight ends before the night ended.

Carter Bradley

carter bradlet — Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Carter Bradley (10) leads the warm up before the start of the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nick Mullens and Joey Aguilar went a combined 15-of-17 for 195 yards, with each backup quarterback having some very positive moments. On the flip side was Carter Bradley, who led the Jaguars in attempts but struggled to put much together, He finished the day 6-of-13 for 51 yards and was the lone Jaguars quarterback who did not have a solid night in terms of production. The situation around him matters, but it is mostly the same one the others are playing with.

DeeJay Dallas

It already seemed incredibly unlikely that DeeJay Dallas was going to make the 53-man roster, but now it might be tough to see him on the practice squad. Ameer Abdullah keeps making plays, J'Mari Taylor has flashed, and then Dallas has a self-inflicted mistake on Friday with a fumble against the Panthers. Dallas does not have the marginfor error to make those kind of mistakes on a game day.

Jabbar Muhammad

Last week's preseason came was an up-and-down affair for cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, but he at least finished the game with a game-winning pass breakup on the final play of the game. This time around, Muhammad didn't have the highs to balance out some of the lows. He gave up too many easy completions on Friday and did not record a single pass-breakup on the night despite seeing plenty of passes in his direction.

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