Jaguars Found Friendly Solutions With Montaric Brown, Dennis Gardeck Deals

The Jacksonville Jaguars struck smart deals with Montaric Brown and Dennis Gardeck.

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (30) carries a Jaguars flag onto the field before a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-7. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The numbers are officially in on the Jacksonville Jaguars' deals to retain Montaric Brown and Dennis Gardeck.

Jaguars general manager James Gladstone and the front office clearly made it a point to retain Brown and Gardeck after each played a key role in 2025. As a result, the Jaguars re-signed both to new deals before legal tampering officially began on Monday. Now, the details are in on those deals.

Brown and Gardeck Cash In

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone looks on from the sideline against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

According to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac, Brown's final deal came out to a three-year, $31.8 million contract that has $20.65 million guaranteed. The deal has very little impact on the 2026 cap, with Brown's cap hit this season set to be just $3.9 million before rising to $11.95 million next season.

The Jaguars could save near $10 million in cap and take on a not-massive amount of dead money if they release Brown after two seasons, but the expectation is for him to be the starter across from Travis Hunter for years to come. There is also a void year attached, which means he will count for $4.4 million against the cap in 2029 ... when the cap takes a massive leap.

CB Montaric Brown's #Jaguars Contract
- 3 years, $31.8M
- $20.65M guaranteed
- $12.75M 2026 cash
- 2 yrs, $22.5M practical

Cap Hits
2026: $3.9M
2027: $11.95M
2028: $11.5M
2029: $4.4M (void)

Full Breakdown:https://t.co/rz9WvgvZ99

— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 11, 2026

As it stands today, Brown ranks No. 32 among all NFL cornerbacks in average annual value, No. 33 in total value and No. 29 in guaranteed money. Considering what many felt like Brown would fetch on the open market, the Jaguars seem to have done quite well with his deal.

With Jarrian Jones and Travis Hunter on their rookie deals, the cap hit of the Jaguars' top four combined cornerbacks in 2026 is $22,654,616. Five NFL cornerbacks have a cap hit bigger than that all by themselves.

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone speaks during a press conference next to head coach Liam Coen at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As for Gardeck, the Jaguars were able to sign him to a deal for two years and $6.5 million, with $3.65 million guaranteed. Gardeck's cap hit for the 2026 season is set to be just $2.1 million, and it will rise to $3.35 million in 2027. He then has a void year dead money charge of just $1.05 million in 2028.

The Jaguars essentially were able to keep Gardeck and Brown each for cap hits of just $6 million in 2026 and then $5.405 million in dead cap charges on void years. The Jaguars kept two important pieces of their defense, and there seems to be no real financial downside to making either move. These were wins for the Jaguars.