People Keep Losing the Plot of the 2026 Jaguars, And Here is Why

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering the 2026 season with the expectations of, well, being great. Even if not every national analyst is willing to get along for the ride so far.

That, of course, is because the Jaguars have had an offseason that has lost the plot -- at least in the eyes of those who have already passed final judgement on it's success. But what is it about what the Jaguars have done that has drawn them so much flak?

liam coen gladstone — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks during a press conference as general manager James Gladstone looks on at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' Offseason Marks

We have discussed poor marks against the Jaguars' offseason before, and the latest come from NFL.com. In a review of each team's offseason, the Jaguars were given an F. In comparison, the Tennessee Titans got an A+ and the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts each had passing grades. By reading their summary of the Jaguars' offseason, one would think the panic button had been hit in Duval.

"No offense to James Gladstone and Co., but this offseason hasn't been great. The Jaguars lost multiple key starters in free agency and added very little to compensate. Their biggest moves were pure maintenance: extending former No. 1 pick Walker after a 3.5-sack season; re-upping Strange, who put up career highs of 46 catches, 540 receiving yards and three TDs in 12 games in 2025; and re-signing Brown," NFL.com said.

"Then came the draft. Jacksonville’s class took home Gennaro Filice’s second-lowest overall grade and was frequently criticized for drastic reaches and a failure to address primary needs -- like linebacker -- until the latter rounds. After the last few months, the Jags are under serious pressure when it comes to their division title defense, with other AFC South teams making strides this offseason."

The entire premise of the Jaguars' grade seems to be rooted in the fact that they had two big names leave and didn't spend like the Tennessee Titans. Spending seems to be the chief ingredient when it comes to offseason grades, and the Jaguars certainly did not do that this offseason. The Jaguars had a reason, opting to play the compensatory draft pick game to net projected three extra picks for the 2027 NFL Draft, while re-signing several key pieces.

But had the Jaguars re-signed Devin Lloyd or Travis Etienne and then not kept Montaric Brown, Travon Walker, or Brenton Strange on new deals, their offseason grade would likely be even higher. That is why such evaluations of offseasons have gone so far to the wayside, and why so many have lost grasp on what used to constitute a successful offseason.

The bottom-five spenders in free agency this year were the Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers These teams were given grades of F, C+, D-. Meanwhile, the biggest spenders like the Titans and the Raiders were given the top grades. Catching a trend?

liam coen — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, center talks with Devin McCourty and Jason McCourty before the start of practice. The Jaguars held their final Organized Team Activity on Monday, June 15, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Had the Jaguars backed up the brinks truck for retreads like they have in the past, they would have won headlines and internet space. But the instant gratification of free agency has led us to forget what so many winning franchises have done in March, over and over again. Or perhaps it has to do with a "what have you done for me lately?" mentality.

The Jaguars went 13-4 last year and, in theory, should have gained a lot of respect. But the kind of respect that prevents you from having to drop bags of cash to earn offseason favor is the kind of respect that takes longer than a season to build. The Los Angeles Rams have built that kind of respect, which is why they have had the same offseason the Jaguars just had countless times. But the Jaguars are not there yet.

When the Jaguars do reach that point, perhaps the vision of their offseason processes will be looked upon more favorably. But until the Jaguars are more than just a good story from a year ago, the plot will continue to be lost when it comes to their offseason moves.

The Jaguars have tried it the other way. They have had massive spending sprees followed up by glowing reviews, only for wins to evade them at nearly every turn. And when they did find success via spending, such as in 2017 and 2022, the success was fleeting.

The Jaguars are trying to build to win in more than just March. More than just in 2026. If the Jaguars want to build sustained success for the first time in several decades of franchise history, this is the only way it can be tome.

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