The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t be welcoming back linebacker Devin Lloyd in 2026. The fifth-year linebacker is set to sign a big-time deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Ahead of free agency, the Jaguars were not expected to recoup Lloyd due to his likely contract demands.
Lloyd was originally drafted by the Jaguars in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He immediately became one of the team’s starting linebackers and earned Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for the month of September in 2022, his first month in the league.
Under a new regime in 2025, Lloyd thrived, becoming one of the league’s top linebackers with defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile in charge. Lloyd was named a second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press after his performance in 2025, and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate for T.J. Watt.
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone was complimentary of Lloyd shortly after the team’s season came to an end, noting that Lloyd was impactful to Jacksonville’s season, his commitment and connection to the team’s scheme and coaching staff was “real.” Gladstone also suggested that Lloyd was deployed in the right way, becoming an All-Pro.
Still, the team did not know whether they’d be able to bring him back.
“Look forward to working through the offseason process with our coaching staff and everyone else to determine what’s best for everybody and seeing if there’s something to be done,” Gladstone said. “But nonetheless, the role that he had in what we did this season was real and I think it was very vivid for all to see.”
Now that Lloyd is set to join Carolina how could that fare for the Jaguars moving forward?
What grade do Jaguars get after losing Devin Lloyd? What’s next?
Jacksonville’s decision to move on without Lloyd in the fold doesn’t come as a surprise, especially for those who have paid close attention to how Gladstone is used to operating that position with the Los Angeles Rams.
In LA, the Rams rarely handed out large deals to off-ball linebackers, typically moving on from veterans such as Bobby Wagner or trading a player like Ernest Jones to the Tennessee Titans. Recently, the team gave Nate Landman an extension, but he is the exception who proves the rule.
Given that, Jacksonville’s perceived hesitation to re-sign Lloyd doesn’t come as a surprise.
However, Lloyd’s value to the team last season cannot be understated. He was legitimately one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Lloyd totaled 81 tackles (35 solos), six tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and five interceptions (one for a touchdown).
Reportedly, Lloyd will sign a three-year deal worth about $45 million with $25 million guaranteed. Essentially, a two-year deal worth $25 million. While the Jaguars are cap-strapped, they likely could have matched that deal if they wanted to.
But, Lloyd will be 28 when the season starts and there are other options for the team if they want to take them. Lloyd’s absence should not be viewed as a deathblow to Jacksonville’s defense. There are multiple players in this year’s draft who could make sense including Cincinnati’s Jake Goolday or Missouri’s Josiah Trotter.
Grade: B
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Devin Lloyd leaves Jaguars, will join Panthers: Grade, analysis
Reporting by Demetrius Harvey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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