JACKSONVILLE – He's always pretty much ready, but he is really ready these days.

For Josh Hines-Allen, that time of 2026 Training Camp is at hand. The Jaguars veteran defensive end knows the regular season is approaching fast, which brings urgency to this familiar time of preparation.

"It's time to lock in, and it's time to get this thing going," he said.

Hines-Allen, the Jaguars' all-time sacks leader, spoke to the media following a light-padded practice at the Miller Electric Center Sunday. Head Coach Liam Coen spoke shortly before Hines-Allen, and said he absolutely senses a readiness in the eighth-year veteran.

"I think he's excited for this season and this startup," Coen said. "He's itching a little bit to get going."

Hines-Allen, the Jaguars' longest-tenured defensive player, said that sense heightened following the Jaguars' 34-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the second '26 preseason game this past Friday.

"After Preseason 2, it's like, 'OK, all right, we got one more,''' he said. "Then after this preseason [game], then basically, it's next time we go out here on this field, it's us. And we're not stopping until late January and February. So yeah, I'm ready to go."

Added Allen, "We need to fine-tune everything. Everything needs to look like how it's going to look Week 1. All the little communication errors that if we don't make it, it's like, that's over with. It's ready."

Hines-Allen, like most Jaguars starters, did not play in the first two preseason games with Coen emphasizing joint practices for starters/front-line players and preseason games mostly for reserves and younger players.

Coen has said he will take the same approach this week, with practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the MEC Tuesday and Wednesday before the teams play in the preseason finale at EverBank Stadium Friday.

Coen said Hines-Allen's experience and leadership is evident in such situations.

"He's had a nice camp," Coen said. "I thought in the joint, he showed up in a major way in terms of getting a real competitive opp to go. I think that Josh, he knows how to practice, so he knows maybe if he's going against the second offensive line to work technique, to work fundamentals, but also not to maybe beat the guy every single play that you know you can. There's a balance to that.

"You want to see these guys wreck practice when we are good on good. That's when I want to see you wreck it: Go, absolutely, wreck practice. Our first group, if they can't block you, damn we got better as a team."

Coen, too, said he is excited to see Hines-Allen this week against Buccaneers offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke.

"Both those tackles are good tackles," Coen said. "They've both gotten paid already, and this will be a great test for our edge guys."

Allen, who registered eight sacks with 28 quarterback hits and more than 80 pressures last season, called his '26 camp "good," with his feeling of being "ready to get going" apparent during joint practices.

"I'm like, 'I really want to tackle somebody,' or 'I really want to rush the passer,''' he said. "I want to see what I can do full throttle. But I know it's like, 'I can't rush that process.' It is what it is. We have a schedule for a reason. We have joint practice for a reason.

"But when the time comes, when we play Week 1 against the [Cleveland] Browns [at EverBank Stadium], we're going to be ready to go and be fired up just as much as everybody else, hopefully."

NOTABLE

Rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon has impressed early in camp enough that he is working with the first team at left guard, with Coen on Sunday calling this week against the Buccaneers "a good test" for the third-round selection from the University of Oregon. "[Buccaneers Head Coach] Todd [Bowles] and their defense, they throw a lot of different looks at you," Coen said. "Last week in Carolina and in New Orleans was a little bit more of a similar defense to each other. Less pressure, stunts, twists, movement, so that was great to get him kind of going. Now, this is going to be a little bit of a test in terms of being able to handle all that: The communication, the moving parts, the picks, the stunts, the twists, the pressures. I think this will be a great op for us to be able to really work with him and work through this week and hopefully he continues to ascend."