The Jacksonville Jaguars are just about back.
The Jaguars’ rookies will report to training camp on July 25, followed by the veterans on July 28. The first practice is scheduled for July 29.
Coach Liam Coen embarks on his second season in Jacksonville, hoping to duplicate or even improve on the success of last year, when the Jaguars flipped their record to 13-4 and won the AFC South for the first time since 2022.
The Jaguars will aim to make consecutive postseasons for the first time since they qualified four consecutive years from 1996-99.
“New year, new team and everything about the way we’re attacking this is fresh and there’s a lot of things that we can lean into from last season in terms of just scheduling, operation, things like that,” Coen told reporters earlier in the offseason. “But the entire message is we’re attacking this season with a relentless pursuit. And the way that we’re going to go about is, man, we’ll play any place, anytime, anywhere.”
Can Brian Thomas Jr. return to form in 2026?
There’s no doubt which player impressed the most during offseason workouts.
Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. routinely made plays during practice sessions open to the media, a statement that could be made during his first two offseason programs.
The Jaguars hope Thomas will rebound from a disappointing 2025.
Thomas logged 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns, a fall-off in production from his rookie season numbers of 87 catches, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“We’re being a little bit more intentional about usage and chemistry with him this spring and trying to get a true connection that we didn’t quite have last spring or last training camp,” Coen said of Thomas. “I’ve been very pleased with how he’s taken the things that we asked him to do, to get better at, and to be intentional about those reps.”
Thomas missed three games last season due to an ankle injury that might have hampered his play more than he let on. He was tied for the second-most drops in the NFL last season with 10. Minus Thomas, the Jaguars acquired Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders in November and third-year player Parker Washington flourished in an expanded role.
Not one to make excuses, Thomas is committed to working toward cleaning up the drops.
“A lot of small things that I didn’t do last year … just [coming] out here and correcting those things, being better every day,” Thomas told reporters during the offseason.
Coen said the biggest step for quarterback Trevor Lawrence to take during the offseason program was growing his connection with Thomas. The pair were inconsistent in 2025 after getting limited time together in 2024 due to Lawrence suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
“We’ve put a lot of work in throughout all spring really of just trying to get the timing down,” Lawrence said of Thomas. “The chemistry, all those things, getting on the same page, and it’s starting to pay off.”
If the chemistry built this offseason continues throughout training camp, it’ll bode well for the Jaguars overall.
Will Jaguars training camp be open to fans?
Yes, the Jaguars will open training camp practices for the public. That includes joint practice days against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Here are the dates that’ll be open:
Key preseason dates
July 25: Rookies report.
July 28: Veterans report.
July 29: First practice.
Aug. 13: Joint practice at New Orleans (time TBD).
Aug. 15: Preseason game at New Orleans (4 p.m.).
Aug. 19: Joint practice vs. Carolina (time TBD).
Aug. 21: Preseason game vs. Carolina (7:30 p.m.).
Aug. 25-26: Joint practices vs. Tampa Bay (time TBD).
Aug. 28: Preseason game vs. Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m.).
Aug. 30: Roster must be cut down to 43 players by 6 p.m.
Aug. 31: Teams can begin signing players to their practice squad.
Sept. 13: Season opener vs. Cleveland (1 p.m.).
Jaguars look to make postseason in consecutive years
The Jaguars made the postseason for the ninth time in franchise history last year. Now, they’re trying to make consecutive trips there for the first time since the turn of the century.
To do so, they’ll need their MVP candidate (Lawrence) to be at the top of his game as they take on a first-place schedule (which means games at Denver, vs. New England and at Chicago) won’t have the luxury of sneaking up on anybody.
“Offensively, we did some good things, especially towards the end of the season, but you think about, we didn’t even really start clicking until the last half of the season,” Lawrence said of his success last year.
Lawrence was named a finalist for MVP (fifth place) and Comeback Player of the Year (fourth place).
Lawrence finished the season completing 341 of 560 passes for 4,007 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air. He also rushed for an additional 359 yards and nine touchdowns.
The 38 total touchdowns werea franchise record and Lawrence also moved into second all-time in passing yards for a Jaguars quarterback with 17,822 yards. Next up is Mark Brunell, at 25,698 yards.
Even after amassing that success last season, Lawrence wasn’t satisfied and tried to be the best version of himself this summer.
“I think while trying to challenge himself and our receivers more with down the field passing, challenging him to try new things of concepts and fit some throws into maybe windows you would otherwise take a check down in,” Coen said. “While balancing that, I thought he did a really nice job taking care of the football, running the whole operation, managing the protections and some of the concepts on the field.”
Aside from needing Lawrence to be at the top of his game, they’ll need their defense to improve on the foundation established last season. The Jaguars had the top run defense in the NFL in 2025. Their pass defense ranked 21st in the league and they were largely inconsistent when it came to rushing the passer.
The Jaguars were near the bottom of the league in sacks, recording 32 total during the season which was only better than five teams. By comparison, the Denver Broncos had a league-high 68 and the Atlanta Falcons had a second-best 57.
The leader of the defense made it very clear the Jaguars won’t be settling this season or riding the success they had in run defense.
“Nobody’s at ease. We’ve got to come in with the expectations, this is a business at the end of the day,” defensive end Josh Hines-Allen told reporters earlier in the offseason. “If you come in complacent, then things are not going to end well for you.”
We saw that mentality come to life as the defense battled with the offense daily, sharpening each other to be better for training camp and the regular season. Still, the team will have to prove it every day in camp, and then in practice, and then when the lights come on during gamedays.
It’s a mindset that the team has adopted and will continue to implement throughout the fall.
“Last year is last year. We’ve got to get better from here,” defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said. “I think they all know that and they’ve taken that very seriously. They’ve taken that to heart, so there’s a lot of improvement for us to still make.”
What’s the biggest storyline of camp?
The return of cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter.
Hunter suffered a non-contact LCL injury in practice on Oct. 30, 2025, and had surgery 12 days later. He did not participate in team drills during the offseason program.
Still, Hunter was a consistent presence throughout offseason workouts. He spent time taking mental reps with both the offense and defense and was clocked in at 22.6 miles per hour before the team’s practice on June 9.
Hunter’s rehab led him to spend extra time in the virtual practice room of the Jaguars during the offseason, getting a chance to fill the gaps of the missed on-field time with virtual reps.
“It’s a great advantage because when you’re in a meeting room, you can see it on tape and make your calls and do all that,” defensive backs coach Anthony Perkins said. “That’s one thing, but to be able to stand up, get out of your seat, walk around on essentially a full size width field, see a full formation. See it from the vantage point that you’re going to see it on game day.”
Hunter is in a unique position entering training camp. He spent a majority of his on-field reps on offense last season. He had 324 offensive snaps with 162 on defense and three on special teams, per the tracking of the Times-Union.
The expectation is for those splits to be reversed in 2026. Hunter will likely headline the cornerback position for Jacksonville while also being featured on offense still.
It’s going to take some sorting out, but Perkins admires Hunter’s determination.
“He’s all in on both sides of the ball. How exactly is it going to play out, that’s TBD,” he said. “But he’s ready and willing to play on defense and he’s going to make us better defensively. It’ll be the same thing on offense, he’s going to make us better on offense.
“Just his mentality of how he attacks every single day is different and I’m glad he’s with us.”
One thing is for certain. All eyes will be on Hunter and the Jaguars this fall as he steps back onto the field and they try to repeat their success from Coen’s first season.
Jaguars position battles
At least on paper, the Jaguars have only three starting lineup position battles:
1. Outside linebacker: Devin Lloyd left for Carolina and the Jaguars opted against adding a veteran to replace him. That leaves Ventrell Miller against Branson Combs to compete for the spot. Miller had 38 tackles in 17 games last year, including two starts when Lloyd (calf) was injured. Combs started last year on the practice squad before he played the final 10 games of the regular season (28 defensive snaps). Miller is the clear favorite.
2. Running back: Travis Etienne left for New Orleans and the Jaguars signed Chris Rodriguez from Washington. Rodriguez played one year at Kentucky when Jaguars coach Liam Coen was the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator. Rodriguez will compete against Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, Jr. for carries. All three will have a role, though.
3. Safety: Antonio Johnson, whose five interceptions tied for the team lead last year, is expected to start camp as the favorite over Caleb Ransaw (out all of 2025 with a foot injury). Johnson played well in a starting role last year when Eric Murray (neck) and Andrew Wingard (concussion) were injured.
Injury concerns entering camp
In addition to cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter (right knee), three Jaguars did not participate in the offseason program:
CB Jourdan Lewis: Suffered a foot injury in the Week 16 win at Denver ended his season and required surgery. He did not practice during the offseason program.
LT Cole Van Lanen: Sustained a knee injury in the Week 18 win over Tennessee a day after signing a new contract. Like Lewis, he did not practice in the spring.
RB Chris Rodriguez: Broke a bone in his foot in early May that required surgery. He did not practice in the spring, but is expected to be ready for camp.
What were the Jaguars’ biggest offseason moves?
The Jaguars handed out several contract extensions, including the folllowing:
The Jaguars weren’t very active in free agency/trades, but notable moves included:
The Jaguars lost two big pieces from the 2025 team. They are:
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars training camp feature questions on Travis Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr.
Reporting by Juston Lewis, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Juston Lewis, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
