Price Tag Could be Too High for a Key Jaguars Free Agent

The Jacksonville Jaguars found a lot of success last season. The Jaguars achieved most of their goals in the first season under head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone. The Jaguars won the AFC South and won 13 games. That was a stocker to many as this was a team that was supposed to improve, but not a team that won the division and that many games. Coen and Gladstone put a great team together last offseason, and now they will look to keep it together.

Last season for Coen and Gladstone was all about getting a good roster for this franchise to be better. And they did that by getting to the playoffs. Now that there are bigger expectations for year two under these two, this offseason is different for both of them. Now, Coen and Gladstone will go into this offseason looking to keep a top free agent and bring him back next season, and keep their team as intact as possible.

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. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars top Free Agent

The Jaguars are looking to keep linebacker Devin Lloyd. Lloyd was a huge part of the Jaguars' defense last season. He was their best player and a reason why the defense was good last season and better than it has been in the past. Lloyd found success in the Jaguars defense last season, and if they let him walk, that could be a player who cannot be replaced this offseason. The Jaguars want to bring him back, but the season that Lloyd had last season has driven up the price tag on him.

"One of the most important decisions will be what to do with linebacker Devin Lloyd. Lloyd enjoyed a career season, earning second-team All-Pro honors and making it to the 2026 Pro Bowl Games as an alternate," said Demetrius Harvey of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) celebrates a fumble recovery with cornerback Montaric Brown (30) during the second quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“This year, Lloyd started 15 games, totaling 74 tackles, 10 quarterback hits, seven pass breakups, six tackles for loss, five interceptions (one for a touchdown), 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery to go along with seven special teams tackles."

"He became the second player in the last 20 seasons to have at least 10 quarterback hits and five interceptions in a single season, since LB Lavonte David in 2013."

“The first decision Jacksonville must make regarding Lloyd is whether to place the franchise tag on him. The deadline to do so is March 3 at 4 p.m., and it would lock Lloyd into a one-year, fully guaranteed contract."

kmlkml — Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) stands on the field during pregame warmups against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

"The issue, however, is that the price tag will almost certainly be too high for the club to bear. Last year, the franchise tag for linebackers was set at $25.452 million, inflated by the way the league uses both on- and off-ball linebackers in the formula."

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