3 Thoughts on Jaguars' NFLPA Grades

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have made a lot of strides in the last year.

This time last year, the Jaguars were in the early stages of a new era led by head coach Liam Coen, general manager James Gladstone, and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli. There were more questions than answers, and the path forward was an exciting but uncertain one.

Now, though, we have plenty of answers. The Jaguars' regime went 13-4 and won the AFC South in their first season, and they clearly improved by leaps and bounds on and off the field. This was then confirmed by the Jaguars' stellar improvement in this year's NFLPA Report Card, which leads us to a few takeaways on the matter.

Winning cures a lot, but not all

Nov 2, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Tony Boselli (left) and owner Shad Khan during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One logical reason the Jaguars took the leap from No. 18 a year ago to No. 5 this year is because the Jaguars went from 4-13 to 13-4. Winning clearly cures a lot that ails a franchise, and the Jaguars were able to move into their new era with all smiles as a result of the winning ways they found in the 2025 season.

With that said, that can't be the only reason. The Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings finished No. 1 and No. 2 despite disappointing seasons, the miserable Las Vegas Raiders were in the top-10, and even a nightmare Washington Commanders season was No. 3. No, the Jaguars just simply improved that much.

Coen's strides are clear

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates with head coach Liam Coen (obscured) after the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jaguars' head coach received an awful grade last season, with the Jaguars' locker room clearly souring on Doug Pederson as he entered autopilot in his final year as the Jaguars' head coach. That meant there was a lot of room for Liam Coen to improve the position this year, and he surely did that.

Coen received an A- from the Jaguars' roster, which shows just how much they bought into him during his first season at the helm. The Jaguars became a different team with a different culture entirely under Coen, and that was reflected here.

The one low grade

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, left, Jacksonville Jaguars is executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli, center and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, right, all talk on the field after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ mandatory minicamp Tuesday June 10, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars improved in every category but two compared to a year ago, and they did not get worse in any of the areas that were also reported on in last year's report card. With that in mind, the Jaguars, who ranked No. 5 overall, in this year's overall grades, did receive a C in one category: position coaches.

On the surface this would not be extremely noteworthy since only 10 teams got an A in this regard, but the Jaguars do stand out as the team with the lowest possible grade. One reason could be due to the amount of roster turnover, which could lead to some players who were jettisoned at one point or another could have weighed in and put the onus on the coach in their room.

This is a separate portion from the coordinators, who each received strong marks for the Jaguars.

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Jaguars when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW.

Follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and make sure you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.