Jaguars Excuse Select Veterans From 2023 Minicamp

For the second consecutive offseason, minicamp is going to look a little different in Jacksonville.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson informed the team that select players, including a majority of veterans who participated in the offseason program to-date, will be excused from Mandatory Minicamp in its entirety. Rookies, first-year players and injured veterans will still be required to participate.

This is the same set up Pederson approached last offseason with, an olive branch to the Jaguars' veteran players that quickly helped him earn their trust. It worked out, too, with the Jaguars playing their best football down the stretch of a 9-8 AFC South title and a playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Last year, the Jaguars held minicamp with their draft picks, undrafted free agents, veteran undrafted free agents who have not accrued seasons, and a handful of veteran starters; for example, Laviska Shenault was at last year's minicamp.

Just like he did before last year's minicamp announcement, Pederson also gave the Jaguars a day off during the final day of OTAs, with the Jaguars instead holding a team bonding paintball session instead of practice.

Pederson has said multiple times throughout the offseason how impressed he was by the Jaguars' participation and performance at OTAs, with nearly every player on the roster partaking in the voluntary practices.

"I've been pleased. One, because of the participation, the amount of guys that are here. That is the number one thing that I look at, because it's a voluntary off-season program, right? Next week is the mandatory minicamp, the only three days that the guys are required to be here," Pederson said on Monday.

"So I've been really pleased, been having great participation, great effort, guys are doing the right things. We've been able to work on some stuff that the coaches have taken away from last season or new ideas, new thoughts. We've been able to implement those this spring and really just get stuff on film really. But it's been a good offseason so far."