One Jaguars' Contract That is Doomed to Age Poorly in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have not made many missteps over the last two offseasons. Their ability to simply get on base with most of their offseason additions last year was a big reason they went 13-4.

But that doesn't mean the Jaguars are pitching a perfect game when it comes to big-time additions. A few moves are still set to be left to the jury, and there is one contract that already seemed doomed to age poorly ahead of the 2026 season.

james gladston — 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

Doomed Contract

The Jaguars signed a high volume of free agents during the 2025 offseason, though they did not sign any to a massive deal. They then signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. to a modest deal this offseason as their lone free agent, and most -- if not all -- of the Jaguars' big-money moves have come in their in-house extensions for their homegrown talent.

In short, there is not really a standout deal that the Jaguars backed up the brinks truck for. With that said, there is one deal that just seems bound to age poorly, and that is the biggest deal they handed out: offensive lineman Patrick Mekari.

Mekari signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal with $22 million guranteed last March. Certainly not a massive contract, but it is the biggest one that the James Gladstone/Liam Coen/Tony Boselli regime have paid to a free agent through two offseasons now.

Mekari sustained an injury early in training camp last year and then was injured again late in the season against the Denver Broncos, so this is not even really about his 2025 play. He was up-and-down in the lineup and did not quite match the investment the Jaguars made, but there was a clear context for why this may have been the case.

That is also not to say Mekari is not presently valuable to the Jaguars and their offensive plan. But after seeing how the Jaguars have approached the last two offseasons, is there much reason to think Mekari is not set to be a band-aid solution before the next generation takes over?

Since signing Mekari, who has the 10th highest cap hit on the roster this year at $7,385,098, the Jaguars have spent back-to-back top-100 picks on guards. They took West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum in the third-round of the 2025 NFL Draft before he more or less took a redshirt rookie season. The Jaguars then selected another guard in the third-round this year with Emmanuel Pregnon at No. 81.

Sooner than later, the Jaguars are going to want to see those investments on the field. The drafting of Milum did not mean by itself that Mekari would have someone breathing down his neck to get into the starting lineup, but two guards in a row? If the Jaguars do not see one of Milum or Pregnon on the field sooner than later, that would be more curious than Mekari losing his starting spot to one of the younger options.

wyatt milu — Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (64) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It seems like Milum specifically could really push Mekari since it seems like most of Pregnon's reps right now are coming on the left side. If the Jaguars had gotten two years out of Mekari's deal before he was pushed for a starting job, that would be standard issue for a free agent offensive lineman. But if Milum takes a step forward in training camp when the pads come on, then Mekari's time as a starter for the Jaguars could be restricted to just the 2025 season.

"I think it’s nice to see some of the young guys get some reps and be thrown into the fire and thrown into the mix. It's just always nice when you have a lot I mean, right now, we’ve got nine guys that I would feel confident and comfortable putting into a game right now and say let's go win and see what happens," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said during OTAs earlier this month.

"So, you're building your depth right now. You're building the continuity and chemistry with the younger guys coming into the mix and then once we get to the pads, we'll see what we actually have in terms of being able to move people and run the football.”

Mekari will likely get the first crack at the right guard job since he is the elder statesment, he started there last year, and the Jaguars paid him for a reason. But the sheer fact that it feels like he might lose his spot over the next few months is enough reason alone to think this is a deal that may struggle to pan out.

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