JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Colin from Sanford
Hey, John. I was thinking about former Jaguars quarterback David Garrard the other day, and it got me thinking of other similar players: Decent but not great quarterbacks that kept a franchise stable for a period of time, giving them a chance to win every Sunday. Guys like Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Schaub, Jim Harbaugh and others. I feel like teams aren't content with this type of quarterback anymore. That they would rather shoot for the moon than ride with a guy like that for a few years. Do you see a similar trend – and if so, do think this is the correct approach by teams? Quarterbacks are such a cap hit that having a mid-level guy may let you build a better team around him.
I don't know that their franchises back in their day "just accepted" that quarterbacks such as Hasselbeck, Schaub and Harbaugh were "just decent" – or that those quarterbacks were locked into a certain level of performance. Teams always want their quarterback to reach as high a level as possible, with every franchise constantly working to maximize the position. Still, most NFL teams unquestionably show less patience with the position now. Teams seem to give a quarterback a season or two – and if the player hasn't shown he is "elite" at that point, the team is ready to move on. That has led to once-discarded quarterbacks such as Daniel Jones (now with the Indianapolis Colts), Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks), Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), etc., thriving with teams that didn't originally draft them. Perhaps this last trend of quarterbacks making the most of second, third or fourth chances will lead to more patience. But likely not. Patience may be a virtue, but it's a virtue rarely seen in the NFL anymore.
Lane from Winter Garden
Zone. With the slow but steady progress of players such as Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence, do you think the majority of NFL has lost patience in developing NFL quarterbacks? By the way, I appreciate your first question to Sid Gillman of "How's it going?" I'm glad I have made a lasting impression in the O-Zone. By the way, how are you?
Yes, I still believe much of the NFL is too impatient with quarterbacks. This hasn't changed since the previous question. I am the king all funk.
Pradeep from Bengaluru
Hey, John. This offseason is very boring, as expected. Can you suggest our head coach to create some fun by signing former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles at tight end?
No.
Ryan from Apopka, FL
WOW! Major upset in Paris! Sinner lost in five sets. I am with you that I didn't see that happening. Could this be the year an American can finally win a men's major? Or do we turn back the clock and Novak wins one more?! Should be a fun second week at RG next week. And now we can go back to our regularly-scheduled offseason football questions!
Janik Sinner of Italy indeed lost in the second round of the French Open Thursday – a 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 1-6 loss to unseeded Juan Manuel Cerundolo that ranks as one of the more stunning upsets in men's tennis in recent memory. It might the biggest tennis upset of all time considering Sinner led 5-1 in the third set and was serving for the match. I missed the match Thursday and was stunned when I first learned the result. Upon learning more, it made more sense because Sinner's major issue in the match was being unable to deal with what many observers believe is the worst heat in the history of the tournament. This made it decidedly less surprising for this reason: While Sinner in recent months has been at as high a level as I ever have seen from any player, he has been famously susceptible to cramping and being affected by heat. This susceptibility was the one factor many analysts believed could prevent Sinner from winning this tournament and it again shows that conditioning/withstanding difficult circumstances is as much a part of this sport as serve placement or lethal groundstrokes. The loss, along with the absence of Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, makes this suddenly as wide-open a major men's tennis tournament as we have seen in years. I don't expect an American to win, particularly with Ben Shelton losing Thursday. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Novak Djokovic won his 25th major title – though Alexander Zverev of Germany winning a first career major would be nearly as cool a storyline. Now … back to football.
Kinzie from Asheville, NC
Realizing that we have come a long way in treating anterior cruciate ligament injuries, shouldn't we temper any expectation for Travis Hunter to contribute/perform at his pre-injury level this year? I seem to have heard that it takes at least a full year for a player to feel like they are back to 100 percent. Maybe just cautious, but even expecting him to play just corner at a close to full time capacity seems lofty.
Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter didn't injure his anterior cruciate ligament last season as a rookie. He sustained an injury to his lateral collateral ligament. It's fair to expect him to play at a full-time – and full-performance – capacity at whatever position he plays next season because that's what the team expects.
JAY from THE BURG, FL
Executive Vice President Tony Boselli, General Manager James Gladstone and Head Coach Liam Coen so far have really moved the needle in the right direction. And what is really impressive is it's a first for each of them in their respective positions. Of course there is a lot of experience between them football-wise. And their character and lived experience shine through the entire organization. You can see a shared purpose for all things Jaguars to be great. And an eagerness to compete and win.
Yes.
Jordan from Lincoln, NE
To me, No. 29 comes down to Tashaun Gipson and Brian Williams. I think I would have to choose Williams for the simple reason that he performed at a high level for multiple seasons for the Jags.
The discussion about the best Jaguars player to wear No. 29 indeed includes players such as safety Tashaun Gipson (2024), safety Eric Murray (2025-present) and defensive back Brian Williams (2006-2008). I might lean toward Gipson here, except he wore No. 39 when he was playing at a high level for the Jaguars from 2016-2018 and only wore No. 29 in an under-the-radar 2024 season. I didn't cover Williams with the Jaguars, so I will trust your judgement on this one.
Rob from the duuuuuuuuu
Does Daryl Smith count as a middle linebacker? If so, he should be in the conversation. But I agree if middle linebacker Foye Oluokun sticks around, he could quietly move past Mike Peterson, Smith and even Paul Posluszny. He already holds the single-season record with 185 tackles, which is unbelievable. If we had kept Smith until retirement and kept him in the middle, he would have probably been the best, though.
I didn't cover former Jaguars linebacker Daryl Smith's entire career here, so there may have been times he played inside in certain looks and schemes. He mostly was an outside backer and he absolutely ranks high on whatever Jaguars list one might want to compile. Best defensive players in franchise history. Best linebackers in franchise history. Best players in franchise history. Most underrated, overlooked players in franchise history. He was really, really good.
P Funk from Murray Hill
Can you elaborate on how this "Virtual Room" thing works?
This refreshed as a topic this week when Coen discussed Hunter using the "virtual" room at the Miller Electric Center to take mental reps while he is unable to get on-field physical reps because he's returning from a knee injury. More in a moment.
Nicholas from Fort Hood, TX
KOAF: Although they will never be in the Pride of the Jaguars I think the media team deserves an honorable mention. The ability to keep the fan based engaged and interested in the both the good times and the many dark times is no small feat. When the product on the field wasn't getting the butts in the seat the media department stepped up in a major way. Thanks for all that they do and will continue to do. Maybe Shad will see this and finally get you the office and raise that you deserve.
My Scooby Sense tells me you're speaking of what I like to call "the supporting cast" – i.e., anyone else who has the honor of working with me on the Jaguars Media team. And yes, they love being known as the "supporting cast." They act like it annoys them and even pretend like they think I'm an arrogant blowhard when I say it. They'll even pretend to be angry and ignore me for weeks on end. They're hilarious that way.
