JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines five storylines from general manager James Gladstone speaking to the media Tuesday in the wake of the Jaguars moving to 53 players as the 2026 regular season approaches

1.Performance is everything. The priority will be the best players. That has been clear around the Jaguars since Gladstone, Head Coach Liam Coen and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli took their positions early in 2025 – and Gladstone reiterated that Tuesday when discussing the team's move this past Sunday to the NFL's 53-player regular season roster limit. "When you earn it, you're going to get it," Gladstone said Tuesday. The answer came when speaking about rookie defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr., the only undrafted free agent to make the initial 2026 regular-season roster. Thomas, who registered a team-high 3.5 preseason sacks, became the third undrafted free agent to make the first regular-season roster in the past two seasons. Defensive ends Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II made it last season, with linebacker Branson Combs – who started last season on the practice squad after signing as a UDFA – also on this season's first regular-season roster. "That's something that we preach, and our players certainly are coming to grips with it," Gladstone said. "We're trying to win football games. We're going to do what's in the best interest of the Jacksonville Jaguars and our team heading into 2026 and the best 11 are going to be out there."

2.Open dialogue. The team and wide receiver Parker Washington have made "a lot of progress" toward a contract extension, Gladstone said, adding that the Jaguars and the fourth-year veteran have had "a lot of good back and forth." Washington, a sixth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, became eligible for a contract extension at the start of the 2026 NFL League year in March. Gladstone said the team is comfortable with contract discussions continuing into the regular season, which begins for the Jaguars against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium on September 13. "We're certainly in a position where we're not going to stop talking and try to figure something out," Gladstone said. "He showcases on a daily basis who he is, how he operates. The focus, the determination, the consistency … all that stuff is rooted in just his actions more than any words that he speaks."

3.Quick change. The Jaguars' highest-profile move this past weekend happened quickly, Gladstone said, with the team trading a sixth-round selection in the 2028 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins for second-year quarterback Quinn Ewers on Saturday. The team released Nick Mullens, the backup to starter Trevor Lawrence in 2025, the following day before re-signing Mullens to the practice squad Monday. Lawrence and Ewers are the lone quarterbacks on the roster. Gladstone said the Jaguars evaluated the position during training camp and preseason, and were exploring multiple options – with the possibility of trading for Ewers come "to life" Saturday morning. "That was really the first time we had engaged in conversations with the Dolphins," he said. "It didn't take long to reach an agreement. Ultimately, between myself and Liam pouring into some of the games Quinn had in his rookie campaign, felt good enough about the upward trajectory and really what he showcased over the course of those performances, and trying tap into that and continue to work with him and build with him into the future."

4.Important piece. Mullens remains important to the team's quarterback situation, Gladstone said, adding that the eight-year veteran's presence and familiarity with the Jaguars' offensive system "means a ton." Gladstone added that Mullens is "like having another coach in the room." Added Gladstone, "Being able to understand that he can operate our offense in the way that it's intended to is something that we don't want to just separate from. That was a real conversation, an authentic conversation we had to have with Nick, and appreciate very much the way we went about it and the professionalism he showcased. He's such a great teammate, such a great partner in this, and is pouring right back in, starting out on our practice squad, and we'll see how it all unfolds here as we get into the season."

5.Improving rapidly. Rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon progressed quickly during training camp, with Gladstone on Tuesday saying the third-round selection from the University of Oregon "is in a really good spot" as the regular season approaches. Pregnon worked extensively at first-team left guard late in training camp, with Gladstone saying he "has earned a lot of trust, a lot of equity from both teammates and coaches over the course of the offseason and training camp. It was really down the back stretch of training camp that you started to see his superpowers show up and his flaws begin to diminish. I think he really settled in and has put himself in a position to really help our team right off the bat." Ezra Cleveland, who started at left guard in 2025, has worked at starting right guard in recent weeks. The Jaguars on Sunday placed 2025 starting right guard Patrick Mekari on injured reserve/designated to return, meaning he must miss at least the first four regular-season games. Gladstone said he thought Mekari's "threshold for return" would be "quickly thereafter" that time frame.