Why Jacksonville Can Be the NFL’s Next Explosive Offense
The Jacksonville Jaguars have entered training camp looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 campaign. After back-to-back winning seasons, the Jaguars fell to just a four-win season filled with injuries. 2022 Pro Bowl quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a shortened season after suffering a concussion during a game against the Houston Texans in Week 13. Multiple key weapons on the Jaguars that were supposed to have major roles in the offense had limited seasons as well, such as wide receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis, and tight end Evan Engram. Along with what many considered terrible play calling by offensive coordinator Press Taylor and a lack of leadership in head coach Doug Pederson, the Jaguars stood no chance of surviving in 2024.
However, 2025 is poised to be a bounce-back for this Jacksonville Jaguars offense, a unit that was ranked 25th in the league last season. One of the highlights of the 2024 campaign was rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who ended the season with over 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Earlier this week, Thomas was named 63rd in the NFL’s Top 100 players ranking entering this season. A fully healthy Trevor Lawrence could make Brian Thomas Jr. a serious threat for defenses across the league. Another weapon to keep an eye out for on the Jaguars is the recent first overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft in Travis Hunter. The dual-threat cornerback and wide receiver is bound to make splashes in his first NFL season, becoming one of the most hyped up college prospects in recent memory. Although there are doubts on whether Hunter will be able to translate to the league, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner ended his junior season at Colorado with over 1,000 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns, four interceptions, and 11 pass deflections. If Hunter and Thomas can both continue to reach their potential, the duo can become one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league.
Outside of the receivers, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense will see some big changes in 2025 that can improve their performance drastically. The biggest changes come at the head coach and offensive coordinator positions with Liam Coen and Grant Udinski. Coen, who was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator in 2024, led an offense carried by Baker Mayfield to have the fourth-ranked offense in points scored and third in yardage. Now, Coen has the opportunity to elevate Trevor Lawrence’s game to the next level and turn one of the lowest offenses in the whole league around to one of the best. Udinski, who worked as a quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive coordinator on the Minnesota Vikings, will look to prove his offensive playcalling abilities in his first big break after playing a role in the great season that Sam Darnold had with the Vikings in 2024.
In the end, 2025 cannot be any worse than 2024 for Jacksonville. Both new coaches turned around the careers of two quarterbacks that the league gave up on, and look to do the same with Trevor Lawrence and this Jaguars unit. The team has multiple wide receivers looking to break out even more and become household names. With more trust from ownership through new leadership at the head coach position, the Jaguars have the chance to become a highly explosive offense in the NFL.
