JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Hunter from Windermere, FL
There was a lot of negativity in your column Wednesday about the move to Orlando for the 2027 season. As a resident of central Florida for many years now, I can tell you with certainty that there are a ton of Jaguars fans here who have been neglected for years. I think this is an amazing opportunity for the Jaguars to embrace these fans and an opportunity to recruit even more. What are your thoughts?
NFL Owners on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve Camping World Stadium in Orlando as the Jaguars' temporary home stadium for 2027 – a one-season move made necessary by ongoing renovations for the Jaguars' Stadium of the Future in downtown Jacksonville. While there indeed was some negativity in the Wednesday morning O-Zone about the situation, my sense is much of the negativity stemmed from general – and understandable – irritation over the overall idea of the Jaguars playing away from Jacksonville for any amount of time rather than any real animosity toward the city of Orlando. Jaguars President Mark Lamping speaking about the news on Wednesday said it was his belief that there were around 200,000 Jaguars fans in the Orlando market, so you're not remotely alone in your belief that this is an opportunity for the Jaguars to embrace a large television market. My thoughts? I live a mile from EverBank Stadium and Orlando being far more than a mile from my house makes me not in love with the situation. But that's not Orlando's fault. It's no one's fault, though my instinct to assess blame. Overall, there seems little question that a year playing in Orlando can only expand the Jaguars' brand there – and therefore can only be a positive. To what extent? Stay tuned.
Henry from Jacksonville
Now that the Jags are playing in Orlando in 2027, logistically, how will that look? Will they practice in Jax all week and then head down for home games on Fridays or Saturdays?
The Jaguars will continue to operate in Jacksonville as normal in 2027 in pretty much all ways except home games – meaning they will train, practice, prepare, etc., year-round at the Miller Electric Center adjacent to EverBank Stadium/Stadium of the Future. The exact home-game logistics have yet to be determined, but I expect the Jaguars will travel to Orlando Saturday for Sunday home games with similar timing to how they currently manage road games.
Lane from Winter Garden, FL
Zone, "Orlando of all places, ugh," says Timothy from Jacksonville? Please let him know that us Jag fans in Orlando support the team and even defend the city of Jacksonville when people bad mouth it. You might be wise to avoid bad-mouthing our city as well, we're all pulling for the Jags!
One fer all just gettin' along …
Austin from Orlando, FL
I know a lot of Jacksonville natives are upset, but growing up poor there was just no chance my parents would pay for tickets and drive, let alone stay in a hotel, just for me to see the Jags, and I still haven't ever gotten to see them live. Here's one fer the Orlando fans that had to live through blackouts even though we couldn't even go to the games if we wanted.
… and another fer …
Bo from Winter Springs, FL
I lived in Jacksonville for 20 years, where I became a football – and more specifically, a Jaguars – fan during the 1999 season when I was in the fourth grade. Previously, I had moved around every two years as a child of a Navy Pilot (NAS JAX shoutout!) where we finally ended up. I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, for five years for work and the Jaguars were just on the fringe of the television viewing area. We would get the preseason games and then a few regular season games. My son fell in love with football -- and more specifically, the Jags – while we were there during the 2017 campaign. We moved again to be closer to some family and ended up in Central Florida just outside Orlando and we couldn't be more excited to have the Jags in our front yard in 2027. The Jaguars are special to the people in Jacksonville, but all the people that are in angst about the Jags playing in London or Orlando should just picture it as sharing something special with friends across the pond or down the street a little ways. The Jaguars have been and will continue to be a huge part of my identity as a person. I love the Jags and am thankful that ownership has done such a great job to make them sustainable in Jacksonville for so long and obviously plans to continue to do so for the long-term future.
… one more fer all just getting' along.
Steve from Nashville, TN
What can be done to prevent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from having a ninth home game next year in Orlando - move that game to London?
The Jaguars and Buccaneers are indeed scheduled to play a Jaguars home game in 2027. I expect that game will be played at Camping World Stadium. What can be done to prevent that game from feeling like a Buccaneers home game? I suppose Jaguars fans could buy tickets more tickets than Buccaneers fans and go to the game. That would be a start.
Scott from Daytona Beach, FL
Just curious, will Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli be booking the Atlas for home games to get you all from Jax to Orlando or will he take the cheap way out and go with buses?
Stay tuned.
Richard from Orlando, FL
I am interested in season tickets for the 2027 season in Orlando.
I expect you're not alone. The Jaguars expect this, too. Information regarding 2027 season ticket availability and purchase opportunities to catch the Jaguars in action at Camping World Stadium in Orlando will be provided to season-ticket members as soon as it is available and ahead of any general public. People can register interest here.
John from Jacksonville
Isn't every Jaguars game in 2027 an away game? They can call it whatever they want but they are away games because the team has to travel to get there. You can't fool me. If the Jaguars somehow survive that season with a winning record, or maybe excel, wouldn't that be a monumental accomplishment? That would make the 2028 season opener pretty incredible. Here's hoping.
The 2027 season unquestionably will be challenging for the Jaguars – and not just because I have to drove longer to and from home games. Traveling to eight-to-10 road games is a grind, so traveling to 17 more games is even more so. But winning and excelling in the NFL are accomplishments whatever the circumstances. Here's the bottom line: Good NFL teams win games no matter the site. The Jaguars have struggled away from Jacksonville a lot in the past and guess what? They struggled in a lot of places in the past – home, away, wherever. They were really good in 2025 and went 6-2 on the road. Will the logistics be tricky in 2027? Of course. Should they be impossibly tricky? Absolutely not.
Chris from Mandarin
Shouldn't the Jaguars be playing the AFC East in 2027 and not the AFC West? The AFC South played against the AFC West in 2025, and play the AFC North in 2026, so the next rotation should put the Jaguars against the AFC East unless I'm missing something.
The Jaguars are indeed scheduled to playing four opponents from the AFC East in 2027, with games against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins scheduled to be Jaguars home games.
Josh from Atlanta, GA
Jacob Rodriguez has been mocked our direction quite a bit as we get closer. I know this isn't your thing, but I'm sure you've caught enough chatter from the "experts" on all those shows that cover nothing but the draft to have a thought. What's missing from his game? I know the two leagues are completely different and certain skill sets don't always carry over. I'd just figure the guy who won the Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi and Nagurski would project a little higher than 56. Is it about positional value? One fer Rodriguez in teal.
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who by winning the aforementioned awards qualifies as a staggeringly decorated college football player, is considered a front-line prospect. A major reason he's not widely considered a first-round selection is he's an off-the-ball linebacker – and off-the-ball linebackers must be otherworldly elite to be selected in Round 1. He also reportedly could be better in coverage and tends to over-pursue at times. But his strengths outweigh the weaknesses, and he'll have every chance to be an NFL starter. Not all good players are first-rounders.
Dwayne from Jacksonville
"Not that I own a team. At least not yet." Did you get a big raise?
What's a "raise?"
