Why Oft-Maligned Jaguars Player Deserves a Shot at Redemption

All of the Jacksonville Jaguars want to avenge their Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Only some will have the opportunity.

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be out for blood next year. They had an incredible 2025 NFL season that surpassed all expectations coming into the campaign. None of that mattered once the clock hit triple zeroes, officially confirming their 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Wild Card Weekend.

Now, the Jaguars have to find a way to exceed the new standard they've set for themselves this past year. Notching another division title won't be enough. With a promising offseason, this team should land among the top contenders for the 2026 season. Unfortunately, not everyone can be a part of the revenge tour.

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II (6) warms up 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

Should the Jaguars bring back Greg Newsome II?

Of all the damage done from the Jacksonville Jaguars' loss to the Buffalo Bills, Head Coach Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence probably took the biggest hits to their reputations. Coen made some polarizing decisions in the defeat, such as going away from a successful ground game and opting for a failed conversion on 4th-and-2 in field-goal range. T-Law played a solid outing, but ended his afternoon with a second interception that killed the Jaguars' chances to come back down three with a little under a minute left.

However, Greg Newsome II took his lumps, too, after it appeared that his busted coverage resulted in Brandin Cooks's 36-yard reception on the Bills' final offensive drive to take the lead. He's set to hit free agency after an up-and-down half-season with Jacksonville. For what it's worth, Newsome II told the media while cleaning out his locker that he wants to return:

Greg Newsome as the nearest defender:
7 tgt, 6 rec, 74 yds, 1 td (150.3 rtg) allowed

much of the damage came on this coverage bust on Buffalo’s game-winning drive pic.twitter.com/Rvrt2fNliy

— Gus Logue (@gus_logue) January 12, 2026

"Obviously, I would love to come back and redeem what we lost yesterday, have a full offseason being able to show them exactly what I can do to the full extent with just knowing everything and being comfortable from the beginning, so that would be dope."

He started slowly after the trade, but caught on down the stretch. In his last six starts before the Bills' loss, he allowed just 18 catches on 29 targets for under 32 yards per game and one total touchdown in 176 coverage snaps. Newsome II is confident that he could be much better with more continuity in Jacksonville:

Greg Newsome on being a free agent:

"I would love to come back and redeem what we lost yesterday." pic.twitter.com/H4D9UbX5Zw

— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) January 12, 2026

"Leaving and joining another scheme, you gotta relearn that again. It's like you're becoming a rookie all over again. Obviously, coming here in the middle of the season, it's like you got guys who had an entire offseason program to learn the defense. I had to come in and learn the defense that people had been doing for four, five months in two weeks, so I definitely would love to go somewhere and know that I'm going to be there."

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