JACKSONVILLE – This was what he wanted, so this was a good day.
Brenton Strange, who signed a contract extension to remain with the Jaguars Thursday, spoke to the media Thursday morning – and the veteran tight end made clear this was a life-changing, meaningful moment.
"I feel like Duval is home to me," he said.
Strange, a second-round selection by the Jaguars in the 2023 NFL Draft, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2026 regular season. He has emerged as one of the NFL's best young players at his position.
"He sets the tone as a run blocker and plays a huge role in the pass game as well," Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said in a release Thursday. "As our offense continues to evolve, Brenton's role will continue to evolve with it.
"His work ethic and dedication define our core values and our culture, and we're excited to keep developing this offense with him as a main focal point."
Strange Thursday said he was "still processing" signing his second contract.
"This is kind of what I always dreamed of," he said. "This was always a part of the plan for me. I wanted this to happen. I just didn't know the steps I was going to need to take, but it was just putting my head down every single day, going to work and just trying to maximize and become the best player that I can become.
"It's still about that, and it's still about just getting better every day and getting even better."
Strange said he focused little on his contract status during the Jaguars' 2026 offseason program at the Miller Electric Center, which ended last week.
"You let your agents take care of that and you hear every once in a while they had talks and that was something that was going on," he said. "You can't focus on those things if you want to continue to get better and you want to continue just doing what you need to do.
"When the season was over, I kind of had a feeling that it might happen, but you never know. I'm just excited to be here and continue building on what we started."
Strange, 25, is the fourth Jaguars veteran to sign a long-term extension this offseason. Cornerback Montaric Brown, a seventh-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, signed an extension in March. Defensive end Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall selection in the '22 NFL Draft, signed in early April. Long snapper Ross Matiscik, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, signed earlier this month.
"Over the course of last season, it was clear Brenton was an important part of what we're building here," General Manager James Gladstone said in a release. "He will continue to grow within the confines of the offense and be a weapon in both the pass and the run game."
Added Strange, "It's nice when rewards come, but a lot of responsibility comes with those rewards. We're ready to take on that responsibility and continue to take the next steps."
Strange, the No. 61 overall selection in the '23 draft, has appeared in 43 regular-season games with 26 starts in three NFL seasons. He has 91 receptions for 986 yards and six touchdowns, with the Jaguars finishing 11-1 in games in which Strange played last season.
Strange in 2025 started 12 games with career highs in receptions (46), receiving yards (540) and touchdown receptions (three) despite missing five games with a hip injury. The Jaguars went 2-3 in his absence.
"It felt good being out there with the guys," he said. "That's all I know. Every single time we stepped out on the field, you feel the chemistry, you feel the passion that everybody has on the field. That's just what I felt every single time.
"It's just exciting to be here, to get it out of the way and continue to build. I take a lot of pride in going out there and just playing good for this city and playing good for this organization. This is where I wanted to be. I'm happy here and I'm just excited we got the deal done."
He said he absolutely wanted to re-sign with a Jaguars team that drafted him three years ago, and that has emerged as contender entering Year 2 under Coen, Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli.
"That was another reason why I wanted to be here," Strange said. "That's not only the players, but that's just the staff, that's all the people in this building. We have one common goal and whatever we need to do to win, that's that. It's a special building, man, and that's what you need.
"You need special people around. You need the people who are driven and determined to want to accomplish winning. And I'm happy I'm here."
