5 Concrete Reasons to Buy the Jaguars as Legit Super Bowl Contenders

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have had Super Bowl expectations before. Even in the last decade, the Jaguars have had the highest of hopes that, for a rare time, felt legitimate.

One year after a heartbreaking loss to the New Enland Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the 2018 Jaguars ran back the same cast with Super Bowl aspirations but finished 5-11 and in last place in the AFC South.

doug marron — Jan 7, 2018; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone during the second half of the AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills at Everbank Field. Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Buffalo Bills 10-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2023, the Jaguars added Calvin Ridley to a team that got red hot and saw Trevor Lawrence break out the year before. Despite an 8-3 start that had people thinking maybe, just maybe ... the Jaguars finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs entirely.

So, what makes the 2026 Jaguars any different? What can seperate this Jaguars team from the one-year wonders and failures of 2017-2018 and 2022-2023? We break it down below.

Liam Coen

Liam Coen has been the head coach of the Jaguars for just 17 regular-season games, and so far he has won games at a faster clip than any other head coach in franchise history. For context, his 13 wins are just 11 away from passing Gus Bradley (14), Doug Pederson (22), and Doug Marrone (23). An 11-6 season would make Coen the third-most successful head coach to ever lead the franchise, trailing just Tom Coughlin and Jack Del Rio.

Coen, of course, is cognizant of the past failures of teams who made noise one season and fell off the next. Coen has to prove more after just one season, but he has now proven in back-to-back seasons to be a true difference-maker as a play-caller. The Jaguars scored a franchise-record 27.9 points per game last year, scored 5-plus points 13 times, and set the franchise overall scoring and touchdown records.

Look to Tampa Bay for further proof of the Coen impact. Without Coen at the helm of the Buccaneers offense in 2025, they took a clear step back both on the ground and in the air, and it has become obvious that he was the main ingredient to their offensive success in 2024. Aside from his prowess as a play-caller, though, he also showed last season that he is a tone-setter in terms of the Jaguars' culture. Coen is the missing ingredient the Jaguars have been missing for decades.

They Have the Weapons

parker washingto — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) tip toes the line as he is forced out of bounds by Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa (97) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is hard to imagine the last time the Jaguars had a supporting cast like this outside of their true glory days with Fred Taylor, Keenan McCardell, and Jimmy Smith. Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers have been 1,000-yard receivers, Parker Washington is a true breakout star, Travis Hunter was the No. 2 pick and one of the best receiver talents in the nation just a year ago, and Brenton Strange is now a big-money tight end.

The Jaguars might not yet have a running back who is seen as a dominant workhorse, but Chris Rodriguez Jr and Bhayshul Tuten are both talented and effcient rushers who are proven fits in Coen's run scheme. Add in one of the NFL's best pass-blocking running backs in LeQuint Allen Jr., and these are the best weapons the Jaguars have had in a long, long time.

Jacksonville was one of four teams to have three players with 700-plus receiving yards a year ago, and the expectations for the offense are even higher now. That is due in large part to a skill room that could be one of the best in the entire NFL.

They Have the QB

Trevor Lawrence was on a heater to end the 2025 season, and all indications so far are that he is on his way to carrying it over to 2026. Lawrence has been the gunslinger behind several potent passing games in his career, but his performance in his first year under Coen was his best yet after he recorded a franchise-record 38 total touchdowns, threw for over 4,000 yards and finished fifth in the NFL in passing touchdowns (29).

Lawrence has now had MVP-caliber stretches at multiple points in his career, and it is clear that he has the talent to be a difference-maker for a team that supports him in terms of scheme and supporting cast. The Jaguars do not have any questions in either regard for one of the first times in Lawrence's career, and he has matured enough as a quarterback to believe that he can take the Jaguars to places they have never been.

The AFC Has Major Questions

Had the Jaguars been able to stop Josh Allen in the Wild Card round a year ago, it stands to reason they could have ran the table in the AFC. They had already defeated the Denver Broncos on the road a few weeks prior, and the New England Patriots did not exactly impress in games against big opponents in 2025. Fast forward a year and, frankly, not much has changed.

The Broncos will be good, but beatable. Josh Allen is incredible, but Joe Brady as head coach is an unknown. Ditto for Lamar Jackson and Jesse Minter, who Liam Coen has dominated in the past. The Kansas City Chiefs are still the Chiefs, but Patrick Mahomes is coming off a serious injury and the Chiefs have proven to be mortal after all. The Houston Texans have an elite defense, but C.J. Stroud's playoff performances certainly linger.

The AFC looks wide-open yet again, even after the A.J. Brown trade to the Patriots. As long as the Jaguars can be strong against the hurdles of a first-place schedule, they will be in position to hold all of the cards.

Anthony Campanile's Return

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' defense took a massive leap a year ago, and Anthony Campanile is the biggest reason why. He proved to bring the goods as a schemer, taking influence from past jobs under some of the best defensive minds in football, and Jacksonville's top-ranked run defense was an inspired effort under his watch.

Campanile has the pass-rushers in Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Arik Armstead, and he has a cornerback room that could be the most underrated in the NFL. Add in a potential X-Factor at safety in Antonio Johnson, a top-flight nose tackle in DaVon Hamilton, and one of the most consistent middle linebackers in football in Foyesade Oluokun, and the Jaguars have the coach and the pieces to be a top defense.

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