What Brenton Strange's Extension Means for Parker Washington, Nate Boerkircher

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have long had Brenton Strange in their plans for the future, and they solidified those plans this week with a new three-year deal for the star tight end.

“As our offense continues to evolve, Brenton’s role will evolve with it. He sets the tone as a run blocker and plays a huge role in the pass game as well," head coach Liam Coen said in a statement on Thursday. "His work ethic and dedication define our core values and culture, and we’re excited to keep developing this offense with him as a main focal point.”

The Jaguars' words and actions have each backed up the fact that Strange is seen as a building block for Coen's offense. But with Strange now locked in through the 2029 season, what kind of ripple effect does his deal have on other members of the offense such as Parker Washington and rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher? We break down our thoughts below.

Impact on Parker Washington

With the Jaguars giving extensions to two of their upcoming 2027 free agents in Strange and long-snapper Ross Matiscik, the Jaguars have filled two big question marks ahead of next March. This year's internal free agent class is set to be even more important than last year's, even with Strange now extended. That is because of other big names like Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, Antonio Johnson, and most notably, Parker Washington.

The Jaguars have not been shy about their expectations for Washington's role entering 2026. Washington was dominant down the stretch of the 2025 season and ended up leading the team in receiving despite not becoming a full-time player until the second-half of the season. There is a good chance Washington's numbers hit career highs in 2026, even with a crowded pass-catcher room that also consists of Strange, Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter.

Considering most of the internal free agents the Jaguars have coming up outside of Washington, Johnson, and fellow former 2023 draft pick Ventrell Miller, are older veterans, it makes sense for the Jaguars to put the big money aside for Washington.

The numbers could work out in any kind of range, whether it is in the Jayden Reed neighborhood or if the Jaguars go all-in and give him a deal similar to Christian Watson's value.

Strange was going to play a big role in the offense regardless of whether they lean into multiple tight end sets or if they played mostly in 11 as they did a year ago, so this deal does not seem to signify anything in terms of the Jaguars' value in having multiple big-money receivers. It is worth noting that Jakobi Meyers' deal runs for two more years after 2026, and the Jaguars would still have two cost-controlled years for Brian Thomas Jr. thanks to his rookie deal and the fifth-year option.

In short, I do not think Strange getting his deal first means anything in terms of whether Washington will or won't get extended. It is hard for me to believe the Jaguars will be willing to let a player at a valuable position like receiver leave considering the importance they have placed on the role, which I think means more to Washington's chances to get his deal next than anything related to Strange.

Impact on Nate Boerkircher (and Tanner Koziol)

jacksonville jaguar — Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, center, talks to tight end Tanner Koziol (89), right, and tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is also the question of what the Strange deal means for the Jaguars' two rookies at tight end in No. 56 pick Nate Boerkircher and fifth-round pick Tanner Koziol. Let's tackle Koziol first because I believe there are less layers there.

But before diving into either case, it is worth noting that nothing has really changed for the Jaguars here. The Jaguars have been expected to re-sign Strange sooner rather than later since the offseason began, something the Jaguars' veteran tight end himself said he felt like would happen.

"So, in the offseason when the season was over, I had kind of had a feeling that it might happen, but you never know. So, I'm just excited to be here and continue building on what we started," Strange said on Thursday.

In short, nothing changed for Koziol or Boerkircher in the short- or long-term with Strange's deal getting done. Strange was always set to be the alpha dog in the room when they were drafted, and the only reason to believe their situations have changed since that day are if you think there was a chance the Jaguars were ever going to let Strange walk. Clearly, that was never going to the case.

When it comes to Koziol, who impressed with his ball-skills in the red-zone at multiple points of the offseason program, his upside for 2026 has always seemed potentially capped as a niche red-zone specialist. The Jaguars could play more 13 than a year ago, but it seems like the Jaguars are more likely to place an emphasis on 12 personnel instead.

“I think the interesting thing about the tight end position or getting bigger is if you can get a bigger grouping on defense, but your tight ends have the ability to spread out and do different things in the pass game, well, you can present 13-personnel pictures or even 12," Coen said in May.

"I like 12 a lot personally, but you can also present 11-personnel pictures, 10-personnel pictures, spread open, empty formations. Now you're just challenging the defense in base defense to have a lot more calls. You have to have a lot more checks, a lot more adjustments."

As for Boerkircher, there seems to be some things lost in translation since his selection, at least in terms of the external perception of the Jaguars' plans for him. The Jaguars have seemed confident in what Boerkircher will allow their offense to do as they expand from their 2025 success, success that was done without a lot of production at the tight end room outside of Strange.

bor — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) smiles during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the Jaguars missed Strange for five games last season, their tight ends combined for 11 catches for 121 yards and no touchdowns, a five-game average of 2.2 catches a game for 24.2 yards. By comparison, Strange averaged 3.83 catches for 45 yards per game last year by himself. When Strange was out of the lineup, the rest of the room failed to pick up the slack.

That is not to say the Jaguars picked Boerkircher at No. 56 because they simply wanted an insurance policy for Strange's pivotal role in the offense. Coen has detailed before why he thinks the addition of Boerkircher can open Strange to do more in the passing game as well.

Whether the No. 56 pick is worth the rookie year impact of a No. 2 tight end whose most important role might be to supplement Strange is up for debate, but the Jaguars' plans for Boerkircher have never seemed that unclear. They wanted to get better at TE2, and they believe he does that. They will likely play more 12 personnel this year than they did a year ago, when they were just around league average in usage.

The best comparison for Boerkircher's rookie year might actually be Strange. As a second-round pick in 2023, Strange played a backseat role to starting tight end Evan Engram, playiing a career-low 32% of the offense's snaps. That might sound about right for Boerkircher as a rookie, while the future impact will likely hinge on his own development and the trajectory of the offense.

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