The Jaguars Have Had a Sneaky Good Offseason in 2026
Fans and critics around the NFL world have been putting the Jacksonville Jaguars near the bottom of their offseason rankings. Whether it was the lack of big-name signings or just an overall lackluster performance in the 2026 NFL Draft, not one soul seems to be impressed on the panels. However, when taking a closer look, the Jaguars’ offseason may not be as noisy and flashy as other teams’. In a way, Jacksonville has built an offseason based on strategy and moving in the shadows to help build a team that could very well sneak deep into the playoffs next season.
First off, the Jaguars and general manager James Gladstone learned from the franchise’s past mistakes. In 2022, the team was one of the biggest spenders in free agency, racking up millions in contracts. That team would go on to only go 9-8 and just barely get into the playoffs. Most of that core is no longer with the franchise and didn’t even end up finishing their original contract terms. In 2025, the Jaguars went 13-4 and had one of the best seasons in their entire history, despite a Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Gladstone may not want to break up the core he has built, which would explain the quiet free agency period and a very small amount of hype surrounding the draft class.
Out of all the teams, Duval County was dead last in offseason spending. The team has taken a new approach to building their roster. During the season, Gladstone extended the players he deemed important to success, like veteran wideout Jakobi Meyers. Other players did not get the same treatment, like letting former Clemson running back Travis Etienne leave for the New Orleans Saints in free agency. Other key extensions were on the defensive side of the ball, with Montaric Brown and Travon Walker leading the charge. While some positions seemed to have downgraded, like running back, Gladstone and the Jaguars have saved so much cap space that next season, the team could go right back and make a splash. So the Jaguars didn’t make a major move this offseason; how does that hurt them long-term? The team stocked up on draft picks and extended their priority pieces. Sounds like a good offseason to me.
