3 Observations on Jaguars' Drawing Back-to-Back London Home Games

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will be facing two different opponents overseas in 2026.

The Jaguars announced on Wednesday that they will have two home games played in London in back-to-back weeks in 2026. This isn't the first time the Jaguars will play consecutive games in London, but it is the first time they have lost two home games to the international series.

So, what do we make of the news? We break it down below.

What the tradeoff means

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan during an NFL International Series game against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It is easy to see both sides of the coin when it comes to this arrangement. For local Jaguars fans inside Duval County, having one less potential chance to see the team fresh off a 13-4 season is likely not the most welcomed thing. With that said, the Jaguars are in the process of a renovation of EverBank Stadium, where the capacity will be 42,507 -- which means 27,637 are offline. If there is any year to ship off home games, this is probably it.

The Jaguars had to make some concessions to ensure they would only have to leave Jacksonville for one season during renovations. This was one of them, but at least from this vantage point they are gaining a home game in 2030 that they would have lost to the international series. The Jaguars' annual London game is not a part of each team's four-year international series obligations to the NFL, so ensuring they get an extra game in the new stadium is at least a win.

Liam Coen, staff take it from here

Oct 19, 2025; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It will now be up to Liam Coen and his coaching staff to take it from here. Coen went through his first Jaguars' London game last season against the Los Angeles Rams, and it was certainly a game the Jaguars will take a hard look at when it comes to their process for 2025. The Jaguars' didn't exactly fare well in that game, but it remains to be seen if that actually dictates what the 2026 process will look like. What we do know is that having two weeks over there instead of one changes things.

Jaguars president Mark Lamping said on Wednesday the team's ultimate goal is to have a road game and the bye week sandwiching their two London games, effectively giving the stadium a month to get through major pieces of construction. That could mean a month-long stretch without games at EverBank Stadium, though, which would create its own set of challenges.

This was far from a surprise

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan (center) poses during an NFL International Series game against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Anyone in the national media acting like this is a big surprise simply has npot been following developments in Jacksonville very long. It was made clear a few years ago that the possibility existed of once again returning to multiple games in London. The fact that this is happening while the Jaguars are executing a 30-year lease to keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville for generations to come is mostly avoided.

Perhaps the situation isn't ideal, but it is one the Jaguars have tackled as a part of their bigger goal. And while the fans of Duval will be missed for one Sunday this season, there will be bigger and brighter ones ahead. The Jaguars and their commitment to remaining in Jacksonville made sure of that, even if this is one final lump to take.

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