5 Things We Learned About the Jaguars This Week: Parker Washington's Situation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The past week has been a big one for the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the franchise shaping its roster at last before Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.

So, what did we learn from the Jaguars during the roster cut-down week as they got down to 53 players and put together their practice squad? We break it down below.

The Jaguars Are All In on Travis Hunter at Cornerback

Saying we "learned" this is not exactly accurate but this is still one of the most important things that was said at the Miller Electric Center this week. Liam Coen and James Gladstone have put a big emphasis on Travis Hunter's value to the team's defensive depth chart thanks to his talent at cornerback and how their wide receiver and cornerback rooms are constructed. This week was no different, with Gladstone once again reaffirming it in even stronger terms.

Hunter is going to play a big role for the Jaguars in general, no matter where those snaps are bound to come at. It seems like more will be at cornerback than at wide receiver to start the 2026 season, and it would likely take quite a few significant developments to change that. Hunter will be locked and ready to go at the starting cornerback spot opposite of Montaric Brown when the Cleveland Browns visit in nine days.

A Parker Washington Contract During the Season is Not Out of the Question

Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said this week the Jaguars would be open to negotiating a deal with fourth-year wide receiver Parker Washington during the season. That is notable for a few reasons.

For one, it very well could have been easily assumed that this would be the stance the Jaguars would take with Washington entering his contract season, since the Jaguars signed players like Cole Van Lanen and Jakobi Meyers to long-term deals during the season in 2025. But it is always better when executives put words behind their actions, and Gladstone has been very forthcoming on this front since he was hired.

Secondly, it says the Jaguars are okay with not having Washington signed to a new deal as quickly as Week 1. There are a variety of ways that Washington's season could go, but most outcomes will have him as one of the team's most productive players on offense. It is understandable for the Jaguars to want to wait to see it all happen again pn a larger sample size, though.

Wyatt Milum has a key depth role

With the release of Chuma Edoga on Sunday, the Jaguars are telling us they feel better about Wyatt Milum than they did a year ago. No, he did not win a starting job like many (myself included) expected him to entering the summer. He did have some momentum at right guard after the injuries to Patrick Mekari, but he also dealt with a few missed practices of his own while also having to be flexed out to tackle at times due to injuries across the offensive line.

That means Milum is entering the year as a backup, just like he did as a rookie a year ago. The difference is last year he was bordering on being a healthy scratch even when he was healthy, but he was not anywhere near close to being one of the first backup options. That has changed this year, and there is a chance he is even the swing tackle in Week 1 depending on the status of Cole Van Lanen. It would have taken some serious injuries for the Jaguars to have that kind of setup a year ago.

The Jaguars Wanted to Upgrade the QB Room in a Big Way

The Jaguars managed to pull off some smart roster gymnastics to add Quinn Ewers and keep Nick Mullens around at the same time, giving the Jaguars plenty of options for the backup quarterback spot in Week 1. Just because the Jaguars traded a 2028 sixth-round pick for Ewers does not mean he is even seen as the No. 2 quarterback in the short-term; he has a chance to be since he is under team control for three more seasons, but the Jaguars do not need him to be right away as he learns the offense.

But regardless of what the Ewers' timeline looks like, the real takeaway with the Jaguars trading for him is that they just were thrilled with their quarterback set-up in terms of options behind Trevor Lawrence. They clearly like Mullens and Joey Aguilar enough to keep them on the practice squad, but the Jaguars wanted to have more options in the event Lawrence ever goes down. Whether Ewers is the backup quarterback in Week 1 against the Browns or not, the Jaguars at least have given themselves more flexibility, while also keeping four quarterbacks under contract at the same time.

The Jaguars are Mostly Healthy Entering Week 1

liM XOW — Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen talks with his team after the Jacksonville Jaguars eighth day of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla., Friday, August 7, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars seem to be in a good spot regarding injuries entering Week 1, which would have been seen as the win of the season a few weeks ago when it felt like the Jaguars were picking up new injuries each day in training camp -- especially along the offensive line. As things stand today, there seem to be zero concerns for both Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers at wide receiver, which is significant considering their importance to the passing game and Trevor Lawrence.

As for the three other notable injuries: Patrick Mekari missed all of training camp and the Jaguars seem to have got a good thing going with Emmanuel Pregnon at left guard and Ezra Cleveland at right guard. They can live with Mekari missing some time, and he is expected to come back sooner than later. There seems like there is at least a chance Cole Van Lanen is ready to play at right tackle too, which is a significant development for an offensive line that has a few moving pieces. It seems like LeQuint Allen Jr. will most likely miss the game, but otherwise the Jaguars' health of their roster is in a good spot.

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