Inside the Jaguars' TE Room Ahead of Free Agency

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to have a great free agency period to build off their success. What does this mean for their tight end room?

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) runs after the catch against against the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading into free agency as one of the bottom ten teams with the least amount of money to spend. This is troubling for a team looking to repeat the success they found last season.

Liam Coen's first season in Jacksonville was a major success, but they may have blown their best chance to compete for a Super Bowl. The AFC South will be stronger in 2026, and they're going to be without key players such as Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne Jr.

Analyzing the Tight End Room

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

Even if their defense is projected to take a step back with Lloyd's departure, their offense should still be one of the best in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence took a big step forward under Coen, and I don't see how that would go away this offseason.

They're going to have Jakobi Meyers from the start, which should give him a reliable target across the field. Brian Thomas Jr. may have struggled in his sophomore season, but he can still give them explosive plays if he's involved more on offense. Finally, Parker Washington is ascending, and in a contract season, I expect him to build off his success in 2025.

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs on the field before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Buffalo Bills at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Their wide receiver room is in good hands for the future, but the same cannot be said about their tight end room. For starters, all five of the tight ends on their roster are set to become free agents next offseason. They don't have to worry about resigning them now, but it's expected that they won't be able to hold on to all of them.

The Jaguars previously had some starpower in their tight end room, with Evan Engram's best season stemming from his 2023 season in Jacksonville. However, his 2024 season was injury-riddled, and they didn't get a lot of production from their tight ends in 2025.

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) runs after a catch against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The brightest star in their tight end room is Brenton Strange. The former second-round pick led their tight end group in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns. He's the most likely to receive a contract extension, and just like Washington, I expect him to ball out in a season where his future with the team is on the line.

After that, their next youngest tight end is 25, who Patrick Herbert hasn't registered a snap in the NFL yet. Due to this discrepancy, I'd expect James Gladstone to draft another tight end or look for one in free agency.