JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars have stayed in-house, and that's a good thing.
Jaguars and NFL Media Analyst Bucky Brooks on Tuesday analyzed the team's moves in advance of the 2026 League Year, and his assessment of three veteran re-signings was clear:
These were core moves, and critical ones.
"I think they're important," Brooks said.
The Jaguars on Monday re-signed three veterans from their 2025 AFC South Championship team, extending contracts to prevent the trio from becoming unrestricted free agents Wednesday at 4 p.m. – the start of the 2026 NFL League Year.
The three re-signed players:
- Montaric Brown, a cornerback originally selected by the Jaguars in Round 7 of the 2022 NFL Draft who emerged as a starter in 2025 with two interceptions and a team-high 12 passes defensed.
- Dennis Gardeck, a ninth-year linebacker who signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent last June after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He registered two-and-a-half sacks last season with 37 tackles – 24 solo – and six for loss.
- Quintin Morris, a fifth-year tight end who signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent last May after three seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He caught six passes for 55 yards and a touchdown last season.
"It's important because the locker room sees how the team rewards hard work," Brooks said on the Huddle Up Podcast with Bucky Brooks – and J.P. Shadrick and John Oehser. "These are guys that go about it the right way.
"When you see Montaric Brown, he ended up with a new deal because of the way he grinded and the way he developed and improved. He took advantage of small opportunities that turned to bigger opportunities. There's an appreciation for that."
Brown, after starting 17 games in his first three NFL seasons, entered the starting lineup in Week 6 in 2025 and started the final 12 games.
"He's a really good player," Brooks said of Brown. "It would have been easy for him last year when they brought in a guy like [No. 2 overall draft selection] Travis Hunter [at cornerback] and you brought in some other guys … he never stopped working or allowed that discouragement to prevent him from putting on his best when he got his chance. He learned lessons from those early struggles and kept fighting.
"You could make the case that he was their most consistent corner last season. He was a consistent presence on the perimeter. Sometimes it takes someone really earning it, taking the hard road, to give you a greater appreciation for him.
"The coaching staff and the front office has a great appreciation for his journey and how he took advantage of opportunities when he had them – in spite of odds against him."
Morris, after starting the 2025 season on the Jaguars' practice squad, played in 14 games with five starts. Gardeck started six of 17 games played last season.
"You think about what Quintin Morris was doing on special teams and how he had to get it done on that before he got a chance to get on the field," Brooks said. "When he got his opportunities, he took advantage of those and he's rewarded for that – same thing with Gardeck.
"That does wonders for the locker room because everyone that comes in – no matter what level – they believe, 'If I do the right things, if I play really well, I have a chance to be here for a long time.' That's the best part of setting the culture because they're all good fits."
Brown's re-signing means much of the Jaguars' 25 secondary will return in 2026, including Brown, Travis Hunter, Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis and Christian Braswell at corner. Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray will return at safety, with Caleb Ransaw – a 2025 third-round selection – likely to play a key role at safety in 2026 after missing last season with a foot injury.
"The scheme and the coaches really work with the personnel," Brooks said. "That's terrific. Safety is still a question in terms of what they're going to do in terms of depth. How do you reconfigure that? But they can put the ball down and play, so you're encouraged by that."
