It would seem an obvious explanation why Edgar Bennett, a running back by trade at Florida State and Green Bay, evolved into one of the NFL’s best wide receivers coaches.
Entering his second season as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars staff, the Jacksonville native played for two coaches, Bobby Bowden at FSU and Mike Holmgren at Green Bay, who ran offenses that relied heavily on using running backs as receivers.
Bennett had 1,246 career rushing yards and 1,095 receiving yards with the Seminoles (1987-1991) and in five years with the Packers (1992-1996) he had 2,792 yards rushing and 1,340 receiving.
In his last two years with Florida State, Bennett actually had more receiving yards (740) than rushing (686). And when he had his only NFL 1,000-yard season in 1995, he also had a career-high 648 yards receiving.
That means Bennett played 12 seasons at the highest level of college football and in the NFL, building a skill set of running routes and catching the football, in addition to running and blocking.
But Bennett said it goes back further than that. When he played at Riverside High School (then Lee) for Corky Rogers, Bennett said the legendary coach often worked with him after practice on receiving skills – even though Rogers had an offense that relied heavily on the run.
No one was catching a lot of passes for the Generals. But Rogers, who played wide receiver at Georgia Tech, perhaps had an eye on Bennett’s future, knowing the value of a running back who could catch the ball would have at the highest levels.
“Coach Rogers spent time with me post-practice, learning the fundamentals of how to catch a football,” Bennett said. “It’s not something we really did in high school. We ran the ball quite a lot.”
As a result, Bennett was already a well-rounded running back when he hit the ground at FSU in 1987. The skills Rogers introduced him to served him well and that carried him to the NFL where Bennett played for Holmgren, and also for a cadre of top-drawer assistant offensive coaches such as Sherman Lewis, Andy Reid and Jon Gruden.
Bennett oversees improving group
Bennett has been working with a position group that promises to be the catalyst for the Jaguars’ offense this season.
“We’re getting our guys ready and focused on the fundamentals right now,” Bennett said. “We’ll get more into scheme when we get back from the break.”
Coen said Bennett and his receivers are hard at work to get better after a season in which the team led the NFL in drops, yet played its best collectively at the end.
“[Bennett] is extremely consistent in his approach and he has extremely high standards for your preparation,” Coen said. “He truly cares about this place, about this city and he wants to do his best to be here for a long time.”
Bennett credits former coaches with his development
Bennett played and coached at Green Bay (2005-2010 as the running backs coach and 2011-2014 as the wide receivers coach) under three proponents of the West Coast offense, Holmgren, Mike Sherman and Mike McCarthy.
Bennett changed positions after the Packers’ 2010 Super Bowl championship season. Wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson left for Dallas and offensive coordinator Joe Philbin convinced Bennett to make the switch.
“Joe was already having conversations with [head coach] Mike McCarthy at the time, as far as me making the move,” Bennett said. “It was a unique opportunity, one that I embraced.”
Bennett coached the Packers’ wide receivers for four years, then moved to offensive coordinator in 2015. It helped to have Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback but Bennett also had to make do with a series of journeyman receivers with an organization that was seemingly stubborn in giving Rodgers more weapons: During Bennett’s time in Green Bay, the Packers never drafted a wide receiver in the first round and only two in the second round, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb.
However, Bennett said he learned bits and pieces from Holmgren, Sherman and McCarthy and now with the Jaguars under Coen, Bennett is working within a diverse offense that works to get the ball in the hands of as many players as possible.
“Being in the offense with Coach Holmgren, then Mike Sherman, then Mike McCarthy … different levels of the West Coast offense and getting to grow in that system,” Bennett said of his journey that has led him back to his hometown NFL team. “Being around a lot of special players as well as assistant coaches. It was kind of a take and grab from different guys … certain things you want to learn and adapt and make your own. I’ve been fortunate and blessed to be around a lot of great coaches along the way.”
Jaguars receivers had mixed results last year
Thomas’ struggles last year are well-documented, dropping off from a season in which he shattered all Jaguars’ rookie receiving records (87 receptions, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns) to 48 catches for 707 yards and two scores.
There were injuries, yes, but Thomas had a subpar training camp, and it carried over into the season.
He’s determined to reverse that, and Bennett said there’s a clear difference in his approach.
“B.T.’s having a great camp,” Bennett said. “Putting in a lot of work. He’s healthy, and that’s the starting point.”
If Hunter can show the form he had in his last game before the injury (eight catches for 100 yards and a TD versus the Rams), and Washington and Meyers are as reliable as they were a year ago, there’s no reason the Jaguars receivers can’t be among the best in the NFL.
Bennett said Hunter, while limited physically, is taking the “mental reps” to heart.
“He’s doing a a real good job,” Bennett said. “Making the most of those moments, those opportunities.”
The bulk of the Jaguars’ drops last season came from Thomas (10), Washington (seven) and Dyami Brown (five), who was relegated to the bench when Meyers came in from Las Vegas ― where he played for Bennett in 2023 and 2024. But there were other areas the room excelled in.
For example, the 2,810 receiving yards were the most by Jaguars wide receivers since 2015. Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence had enough faith in the group to spread the ball around, with six of them catching TD passes, the most since 2017.
Bennett gets high marks from players, Coen
Washington said Bennett, now in his 22nd year as an NFL assistant, brings passion to the room and the field.
“It’s the energy he brings every day,” Washington said. “That’s the most important. And just how he keeps us focused on the details and being attentive about how we attack each day. As a unit … we’re coming together. We challenge each other and he pushes that.”
Coen said Bennett is detailed in every aspect of his job.
“You should see his meetings, the film he makes these guys watch,” Coen said. “In-season … his game prep is as thorough and detailed that I’ve ever seen.”
Coen also said Bennett brings an even emotional keel, important with a young group that averages 2.8 years of NFL service among the 13 players the team will take to training camp.
“It’s great for me, personally, being a little bit of a high-low guy to have someone so consistent,” Coen said.
Consistency was evident among the wide receivers in the second half of the 2025 season. For the team to stay in the AFC playoff hunt, Lawrence’s main targets will have to continue that trend.
“Coach [Coen] gave me this opportunity to be part of something special,” Bennett said. “His ability to set the culture here is just phenomenal.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars assistant Edgar Bennett made a career turn from coaching RBs to WRs
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
