JACKSONVILLE – He wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Nate Boerkircher is rapidly ascending, contributing significantly to winning and showing why the AFC South-leading Jaguars strongly believed he was the right choice for the right team at the right time last spring.
And he said he absolutely likes the vibe of that team this week.
"We amped it up this week," Boerkircher said.
Boerkircher, a rookie tight end selected by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, joined senior writer John Oehser for this week's Week 10 O-Zone Podcast. He discussed multiple topics, including why the Jaguars were the "perfect fit" for him – and why he likes how his new team has approached this week.
"You can get complacent in this; we're 6-2 and feeling good," Boerkircher said as the Jaguars prepared to play the Tennessee Titans (1-7) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday. "But teams are going to push for the playoffs and push to get better, so we have to work on things we need to work on."
Boerkircher, who played collegiately at Nebraska and Texas A&M, has played a significant role quickly in a tight end room that includes veterans Brenton Strange and Quintin Morris and fellow rookie Tanner Koziol. He said he loves the group, and feels the same about an organization that leads the AFC South by three games and has won 19 of its last 25 regular-season games.
"I love the culture that they've built," Boerkircher said. "It's from the top down. It starts with the coaching staff and then these leaders on the team really push that and the guys below buy into it. The fans are another thing. The fans are great here."
Boerkircher, who has nine receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns this season, caught his first NFL touchdown pass – a one-handed, one-yarder – in a 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 6. He caught his second touchdown pass – a 31-yarder – in a 42-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Jaguars' next game. His career-long 52-yard reception set up the game's first touchdown in a 33-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9.
That was the sort of production and development the Jaguars expected when they selected Boerkircher No. 56 overall last April. If that selection was earlier than many analysts expected, Boerkircher said the belief the Jaguars showed in him with the selection "was everything."
"It helped me come in here with a little confidence," Boerkircher said. "It's a scary thing. Everything's new. You don't know what to expect. Having just a little bit of confidence and knowing they believed in me definitely helped the process early.
"I absolutely love my role here and I love this team."
