Several Jaguars Among Most Desirable 2026 NFL Free Agents

The Jacksonville Jaguars just made major strides in ensuring that they can build on their impressive 2025 NFL season. They did so by retaining both of their top coordinators, Grant Udinski on offense and Anthony Campanile on defense. The team was able to ward off a host of different suitors to give itself at least one more run at the Super Bowl with the coaching staff intact.

However, General Manager James Gladstone will find it much more difficult to maintain continuity with his on-field personnel. The Jaguars have several key players hitting free agency this offseason, and they won't have the cap flexibility to bring them all back. In fact, Jacksonville is projected to be about $10 million over the 2026 salary cap. There are avenues for Gladstone to take to free up some cash, but he won't be able to bring everyone back.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, New York Jets, Travis Etienne Jr. — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) celebrates in the end zone after a fourth-quarter touchdown during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three Jaguars named among NFL's top 50 free agents

It's not just their limited cap flexibility that will make it difficult for the Jacksonville Jaguars to keep the band together; it's also how well their impending free agents played this past season. At least two of their expiring contracts likely priced themselves out of the budget to stay in Duval.

ESPN's Matt Bowen compiled his list of the top 50 available free agents in the NFL this offseason. Jacksonville was well represented with three players. Two are more obvious, with Travis Etienne Jr. coming in at 18th and Devin Lloyd trailing right behind him at 19th. The Jaguars and General Manager James Gladstone elected not to pick up their fifth-year options for next season. Those gambles proved to be a bit short-sighted as both players are set to sign handsome new deals this spring.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Arizona Cardinals, Greg Newsome II — Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II (6) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bowen had one surprising nomination from Jacksonville on his list: Greg Newsome II. He struggled a bit after the Jaguars traded for him after Week 5, but Bowen believes he could still be a highly coveted talent due to his past accomplishments with the Cleveland Browns: "Newsome has only four career interceptions, but he has created on-ball production with 33 pass breakups over five seasons. He has the tools to match in man coverage, but he's at his best in zone schemes that allow him to play with backfield vision."

What makes Newsome's inclusion even more surprising is the fact that Montaric Brown didn't crack the list, even though he had a much better season this year, objectively. Hopefully, the NFL has similar beliefs to Bowen, which might allow the Jaguars to bring Brown back at a discounted rate.

To see where Travis Etienne Jr., Devin Lloyd, and Greg Newsome II end up this offseason, sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW.

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