Jaguars’ Offseason Gambles Paying Off With Best Season Since 2017

With three games left in the 2025 NFL regular season, the Jaguars have already matched their highest win total since 2017, as the franchise rolls toward a likely playoff berth after high-priced leadership changes this offseason.

Jacksonville blew out the Jets 48–20 on Sunday to improve to 10–4 this season, and retain a one-game lead over the Texans in the AFC South. That guarantees the Jaguars their first double-digit win total since 2017, when they went 10–6 and reached the AFC championship game. Before that, the team’s previous best record was an 11–5 mark in 2007.

The improved play on the field comes following a major overhaul of the front office and coaching staff after missing the playoffs the previous two seasons.

First-year head coach Liam Coen is also Jacksonville’s offensive play-caller; he signed a five-year contract in January worth an estimated $12 million annually after turning down an offer to remain with the Buccaneers as the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL.

The pursuit of Coen led the Jaguars to also fire former GM Trent Baalke, who owner Shad Khan originally intended to keep in place despite moving on from former coach Doug Pederson.

Jacksonville then hired former Rams executive James Gladstone, 35, making him the youngest GM in the NFL (and second youngest in league history when he was hired at 34). To complement the youth strategy, the Jaguars also brought in franchise legend Tony Boselli, the team’s only Pro Football Hall of Famer, to serve in the newly created role of EVP of football operations.

The new-look front office made an aggressive move in the 2025 NFL Draft to trade up to the No. 2 pick to select two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in October. Despite that injury, Jacksonville has found success under quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, whose five-year, $275 million contract extension kicks in next year.

Home Field Advantage?

Any potential postseason run will come as the Jaguars prepare for extensive renovations at EverBank Stadium that will lower the venue’s capacity in 2026 and reportedly see the team play home games in Orlando in 2027.

The project is expected to cost $1.4 billion and add a roof to the facility, which originally opened in 1995, and underwent a major renovation in 2003 and 2004 that led to Jacksonville hosting Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.