Will the Jaguars Be A Sleeper Playoff Contender?

The Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves in arguably one of the most open divisions in the National Football League. After division rivals in the Houston Texans took home the divisional crown with a 10-7 record, the Jaguars' offseason might have propelled them back to be in that conversation.

After all, the Jaguars fell victim on countless occasions to losing by one possession games early on in the year. After quarterback Trevor Lawrence went down, the franchise looked to be lost on the offensive front, which was evident in where the franchise sat in the power rankings last season.

With a returning and hopefully healthy Lawrence paired with the Jaguars primary wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr, as well as newest Jaguar Dymani Brown, the offense seems better on paper already. If the team can avoid the injury bug, which they caught a ton of last season, the improved roster could be turning more heads than people think.

The addition of general manager James Gladstone was a strong first step in the right direction for a franchise looking to find their footing again in competing. Given the successful mindset he had in the past with the Los Angeles Rams' drafting department, more talent should be on the way following the direction of the draft.

One area that Jacksonville will need to improve on if they wish to reach their playoff aspiring goals, is to perform better on the road. Last season, the franchise won a single game on the road, dropping their other eight. Teams that can win at home and on the road go on to win championships.

The biggest key to the Jaguars 2025-26 success will be surrounding by what new head coach Liam Coen can bring to the franchise.

"Under Coen's direction, the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to complete 70 percent of their passes and average over 5.0 yards per carry throughout an entire season, in addition to becoming just the second team in league history with 40-plus passing touchdowns and 5.0-plus yards per rush in a single season," the Jaguars franchise wrote.

While the current state of the franchise would unlikely compete with the top dogs in the NFL, there is a world where Jacksonville changes the way fans look at them if they can put together a strong campaign.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.