METAIRIE, La. – There was significant heat, a mild skirmish and serious competition.

That meant the Jaguars' practice against the New Orleans Saints on a sticky, steamy Thursday morning was what was expected from an NFL joint practice – and Head Coach Liam Coen overall liked what he saw from the first of four such practices in Jaguars 2026 Training Camp.

It wasn't perfect, but there was good intention and good progress.

"Overall, great work," Coen said.

The Jaguars and Saints worked in full pads for two and a half hours at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on the thirteenth day of Jaguars '26 camp, with the teams scheduled to play in their 2026 preseason opener at the Ceasars Superdome Saturday.

"We get to go against somebody else," defensive end Travon Walker said. "We got a lot of reps today. There are going to be a lot of good things we put on tape and there are going to be a lot of bad things. For me, there are things I can get corrected from this.

"We can do the same thing in practice, but today we get to go against an actual opponent."

Thursday's work featured extensive teamwork with the Jaguars' first- and second team offense and defense working against the Saints' respective units on adjacent fields. The emphasis Thursday for the Jaguars was on the first two units, with backups and younger players expected to play extensively Saturday.

Coen said the Jaguars' offense started slow offensively before registering an impressive red-zone drill in which quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected with wide receiver Jakobi Myers for two touchdown passes and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for another.

"Once we got down in that red area things started to pick up for us," Coen said. "It got better down there. Look, you fly in. You were delayed. It's a long night and you get up and go. It's not an excuse. It's the reality. It was a little slower to go, but that's the game, too.

"It's ebbs and flows. That's why this is a great thing for us. You get exposure to game-like scenarios and that's momentum. That's playing the next play. That's what I applauded them for after practice. 'Guys, we could have gone in the tank. We came out and stunk early on, but we continued to play.' I was pleased with that."

Wide receiver Travis Hunter caught an impressive touchdown in the front corner of the end zone in the red-zone drill from backup quarterback Nick Mullens. Wide receiver Parker Washington caught a touchdown pass from Lawrence in that drill and also continued a standout camp with multiple downfield receptions – including an acrobatic one-hander later in practice.

"It was nice to see the skill players making some plays out there," Coen said. "I thought Trevor settled in."

The Jaguars also continued to work through short-term injuries on the offensive line, with right tackle Walker Little and right guard Patrick Mekari remaining out of practice.

The Jaguars worked multiple starting offensive line combinations, beginning practice with Anton Harrison at left tackle, Ezra Cleveland at left guard, Robert Hainsey at center, Wyatt Milum at right guard and Chuma Edoga at right tackle before working center Jonah Monheim and others with the starters on the right side.

"We had to deal with a little of that from a depth standpoint up front," Coen said. "We got running better as the day went. They have a good front. They're massive."

Added Coen of the line, "I couldn't tell you who was in at the end, honestly. There was a lot of rotating – whether it's trying to get guys work at different spots in these settings or because we had guys cramping and had to mix it up. Proud of the guys for fighting through."

Practice began with a skirmish between Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and multiple Saints defenders, with multiple Jaguars players and Saints players being separated by players from both teams. Coen smiled when asked if he was OK with the scuffle.

"Absolutely," he said. "It wasn't malicious. It wasn't anything crazy. Chris was trying to truck the corner. The corner tackled him. It was done professionally. I'll say that."

Coen was seen holding second-year running back LeQuint Allen Jr. from the pushing.

"He can go off into a different universe at times, but he protects his teammates," Coen said of Allen. "We have two rules. Protect the team. Be on time. He usually takes care of that (protecting the team) for us."

Coen said the Jaguars' defense played the run well Thursday while allowing two explosive pass plays "that we have to clean up and look at."

"It was good, quality work that you can't simulate at home," Coen said.

Here's a look at Thursday's practice:

PLAY OF THE DAY

Multiple Jaguars receivers had memorable catches Thursday, particularly during the red-zone period. Hunter's touchdown from Mullens was impressive, as was Meyers' leaping touchdown reception in the back corner of the end zone. Washington, as has been the case many days throughout camp, turned in the most memorable catch of the day – and perhaps his most memorable catch of camp – when he reached high for a long pass and made a one-handed catch down the sideline late in practice. Hat tip here to multiple passes defensed by cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, who continued a strong offseason/training camp.

STANDING OUT

• Rodriguez had multiple strong runs, creating yards after contact, and Allen had a strong run through the middle immediately after the early skirmish.
• Lawrence, after an interception on the first play of team work, finished strong and was particularly sharp in red zone.
• Defensive end Travon Walker had a strong day with multiple pressures and a would-be sack.
• Running back Bhayshul Tuten had an impressive run on a possible touchdown on a screen pass late in practice.
• Wide receiver Austin Trammellcontinued a strong camp with multiple receptions, including a long reception from Lawrence.
• Rookie tight end Nate Boerkircherhad a red-zone touchdown reception on a pass from Lawrence, and wide receiver Brady Boyd had a red-zone touchdown reception on a pass from Mullens.

INJURY WATCH

Multiple Jaguars players missed practice Thursday, with the following players on the side: Cornerback Jourdan Lewis, linebacker Jalen McCleod, linebacker Jack Kiser, Mekari, Little. Offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen (knee) remained on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start camp.