JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Bill from Ponte Vedra, FL
Is it normal for one team to play its only game against another on the road for two years in a row? This year, the Jags have to play the Broncos in Denver, just as they did last year. Seems unfair.
It's neither normal nor abnormal. It's just how it happens to have played out in this instance under the NFL's scheduling formula. The Jaguars played the Denver Broncos in Denver in the 2025 regular season because AFC West and AFC South teams all played four games against teams from the other division that season, as they do every three seasons. The Broncos played a road game against the Jaguars in London in 2022, the Jaguars played the Broncos in Denver in 2025 and the Broncos will play a road game against the Jaguars in 2028 because of that formula. And so on and so on. The Broncos and Jaguars play in 2026 because both teams won their division in 2025, and teams always play the "corresponding team" from two divisions in their conference every season. The rotation happens to call for the first-place AFC South team to travel to the first-place AFC West team this season, so the Jaguars will play in Denver again. That will switch next season, so if the Jaguars and Broncos both win their divisions in 2026, they will play a Jaguars home game in 2027. The NFL schedule uses this formula specifically to prevent unfairness over the course of time. The rotational nature nonetheless at times creates situations such as the Jaguars playing in Denver two consecutive seasons. When I covered the Colts in the 2000s, they played host to the New England Patriots in 2003. They then played at New England in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 regular seasons because of the rotation before playing host to the Patriots again in 2007, 2008 and 2009. There were similar cries of unfairness at the time, and it was in fact no more unfair then than now. This is how the rotation fell. It will fall in the Jaguars' favor someday. Such is the nature of the rotation.
Jason from North Pole, AK
The Jaguars reportedly restructured defensive end Josh Hines-Allen's contract to create more cap space. If wide receiver Parker Washington were to sign an extension, would that impact his 2026 salary cap hit? I was under the impression that extensions don't impact cap until the year the extension kicks in. Just curious the "why" behind that restructuring and whether or not something is afoot.
There is not always a major "why" behind so-called "simple" restructurings – i.e., ones such as Hines-Allen's, in which teams convert base salary into signing bonus and therefore create salary cap space in a current year while increasing the player's cap number in future years. Such restructurings are often to ensure a team has room to sign players and/or execute trades during the season, with Gladstone during his Tuesday media availability calling the Hines-Allen restructuring "a move to make so that we're not forced to do anything should we pursue an avenue. We want to make sure we have the flexibility we need to keep things on the table as the season progresses." I don't get the idea that this move means much – if anything – regarding wide receiver Parker Washington's contract situation. Remember, too: Contract extensions such as the one that Washington theoretically would sign usually have a minimal first-year cap hit with huge hits in later years. Simple restructurings that create cap space for the current season usually don't have all that much to do with megadeals.
Alex from Jacksonville
Feels like for the first time since 1999 that the Jags have a winning expectation for every game on the schedule. Not to say that's going to happen, but it sure is nice to have lofty expectations for a season.
Fair.
HD from Jax
How does the practice squad roster selection work? Can anyone claim anyone once a player has cleared the waivers? How do teams manage the influx of potential players when every team has released/waived 37 players. That's 1,184 players to analyze – well, really 1,147 as you should know the ones you released. Are teams usually mostly/only interested in getting some of the players they released on the practice squad? Does the player decide where he wants to go and his agent calls the teams – assuming there is an interest?
The practice squad roster works like this: Teams can begin signing players to the practice squad the day after cutting their roster to the regular-season limit of 53 players. Teams may place claims on waived players and sign released players, with waived players having four years or less NFL experience and released players having more experience than that. Remember: Teams scout every college player trying to enter the draft, so they have scouted essentially all waived and released players. Teams also have scouting departments that continue analyzing these players year-round. Teams typically focus on players who were in their own training camps, as evidenced by the Jaguars signing 15 such players to their practice squad on Monday. This in many cases benefits the team and player, with the team getting a player who understands their system and the player staying with a team that understands how he fits and what he's all about. A waived player who is claimed goes to the claiming team if he wants to continue playing in the NFL. A released player is free to sign with any team that wants to sign him.
Matthew from Townsville, Tropical Australia
Hi O, I'm happy for Yasir Abdullah continuing his NFL dream. Unhappy for the Jags, who it seems didn't appreciate him enough, even after Head Coach Liam Coen praised him in preseason. They will miss Yasir more than they will benefit from a million young defensive ends sitting on the sidelines twiddling their thumbs. How can this even remotely be considered a balanced team selection?
The Jaguars liked linebacker Yasir Abullah very much as a special teams player – and after three seasons with the organization, that was going to be his role with the team. They appreciated it very much and it's very possible they will miss him in that role. They indeed kept four young defensive ends on the regular-season roster – Wesley Williams, Brian Thomas Jr., B.J. Green and Danny Striggow – in addition to rookie defensive Zach Durfee, who they kept on short-term injured reserve. It's not a particularly balanced selection, but it's a selection based on never having too many developing pass rushers.
Johnny from Jax
With backup quarterback Nick Mullens being released and signed to practice squad, does that affect his existing contract? Do the Jags still get the benefit of the reduced cap space?
Yes. Yes.
Evan from Cocoa
All Mighty O. I have been saying since the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills that the Super Bowl window is open on this team. Our guy Pete Prisco agrees. What say you, all wise one? The quarterback is in his prime with weapons and an underrated defense. You know what it looks like from your time in Indy. Thank you, my friend. P.S. Kai: Myles Jack Wasn't Down.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence played like an elite quarterback last season. I believe he is now an elite quarterback, one who gives you a chance to win most weeks – and one around which a contending team can be built. If he is indeed elite, the Super Bowl "window" is open as long as he remains elite. There are other factors that matter, but's that is what matters most.
Chris from Orange Park, FL
Do the players get to vote on the uniforms they wear for each game? Those new rivalry uniforms are hideous! Can we just go back to the Prowlers being the full-time uniforms with an alternate black jersey for special games? I feel like when it came to our uniforms they tried to fix something that was never broken and have never improved upon the originals.
Players have been known to have a bit of "sway" over uniform combinations when they involve the "normal" uniforms. When it's a week for the Prowlers and the "rivalries," they have no such sway.
Steve from Nashville, TN
Where are the Jaguars currently in relation to the 2026 salary cap?
They a-ight.
Tony from Johns Creek, GA
O, once the season starts, how many, if any, reps do the practice squad receive.
Practice-squad players practice with the team every day throughout the regular season. If they didn't, they would probably be called something else. They get few – if any – "first-team" reps because they are not first-team players.
That Guy Brian Originally from San Diego
I am ready for the ride. To blindly believe. Don't want to be someone negative, who will tell yourself lies, and disguise them as facts. Because it'll hurt half as much if you drive twice as fast. How will the season end? Don't ask me, I don't know. How's that for a mash up?
I get emails like this sometimes.
