si
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
-- Training camp is just a few weeks away, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have as much optimism around them as they have ever had at this time of the year.
A big reason for that has to do with franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whose emergence under head coach Liam Coen during the second-half of the 2025 season has set the stage for even bigger hopes in 2026.
In a look at every position group ahead of training camp, here are our thoughts, predictions, concerns, and more when it comes to Lawrence and the Jaguars' quarterback depth chart behind him.
I predict ..
The Jaguars do not make any changes to the quarterback room until 2027.
I believe that the backup quarterback group was mostly uninspiring during the offseason program and that the Jaguars, like most teams, would be in hot water if their star quarterback went down for any period of time.
With that in mind, this also does not feel like a spot where the Jaguars have to make the move.
They are not in a situation that is more dire than the average team.
Are there interesting options potentially available? To an extent, sure.
But do the Jaguars really need to be parting with any draft picks? They are projected to enter the 2027 NFL Draft process with 10 draft picks, and Nick Mullens is likely acceptable enough in their eyes to move forward without having to look for any other options today.
Mullens is entering a contract year, of course, which creates a question for the backup quarterback spot after 2026.
But that is a bridge that does not need to be crossed right now.
If Lawrence has to miss time for any reason, perhaps then the Jaguars could get adventurous and creative for solutions, but the timing does not appear to be there right now.
I think that ..
Trevor Lawrence is going to have the best season of his career.
He looked in command, accurate, and comfortable throughout the offseason program, but this goes beyond that.
Lawrence is a quarterback who has so rarely entered positive offensive situations year in and year out in his career, and it sure feels like luck has finally turned to his side.
Lawrence went through his ups and downs in his first year in Liam Coen's offense before the passing game exploded over the second-half of the season.
Lawrence has always had the traits, and it is clear he has the play-caller and scheme.
Add in a supporting cast that is as talented and deep as one he has ever been around, and I believe Lawrence will hit career highs in all of the important marks this year, both in volume stats like total touchdowns and passing yards, and efficiency stats like EPA/Dropback and ANY/A.
Lawrence has been dealt bad hands before at play-caller, head coach, along the offensive line, and in the skill room.
As long as the Jaguars' supporting cast at least meets even most of its expectations, then it is fair to assume Lawrence is due for a big season.
Coen has done a good job of stabilizing the franchise around him, and it should result in production in 2026.
I am concerned with ..
The QB3 battle.
The third quarterback on the roster will undoubtedly be placed on the practice squad, a spot held by Carter Bradley last season.
Bradley is once again competing for the spot, this time battling undrafted rookie quarterback Joey Aguilar for a spot to develop on the practice field for a year behind Lawrence and Nick Mullens.
Bradley seems to have more playmaking traits and overall accuracy, but Aguilar has the size and a live arm.
Each had their moments during the offseason program, but each also failed to stand out too much from the other over the course of OTAs and minicamp.
And when the Jaguars had anyone other than Lawrence passing the ball, there were issues with pushing the ball downfield.
It will be interesting to see when/if the Jaguars invest in a young quarterback to develop behind Lawrence for the years ahead.
It clearly does not need to be an area of focus or priority because Lawrence himself is still a young quarterback who deserves the attention of Coen and the coaching staff as they develop the room.
With that said, it does seem like there are definte chances for the Jaguars to improve in this spot one way or another in the years ahead.
Other Thoughts ..
- I am interested to watch Grant Udinski work with the quarterbacks during the course of training camp.
If/when Udinski gets a head coaching job, I think it is the quarterback room where he will make the greatest impact.
He gets a lot of respect from the quarterbacks on the Jaguars' roster for a reason.
- I wonder if Spencer Whipple doesn't get a promotion in 2027.
Shane Waldron just got one to assistant head coach, and Whipple could be up to move up the ranks if (or when!) Udinski leaves for a head coaching job.
Perhaps named passing game coordinator, and then they hire another quarterback coach or promote offensive assistant Fred Walker.
- Speaking of Shane Waldron, it is nice to see him get a boost after he served an important role in 2025.
It was notable just how often head coach Liam Coen talked about Waldron and his influence a year ago, and it is time for people to let their narratives of him go a bit.
- This is the most quarterback-friendly offense I have seen in my time covering the Jaguars.
There are four pass-catchers on the roster who, in their current 2026 form, would have been the best pass-catcher on any of the Jaguars teams I covered from 2019-2024.
Coen has done a great job to develop the room, and general manager James Gladstone deserves credit for adding to a roster that already had a few key pieces like Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Brenton Strange.
John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019.
Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News.
Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.
Follow _john_shipley.