Big Cat Country
It was an incredible season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it’s unfortunately come to an end with the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The Jags put forth an outstanding effort, and they were in it right up until the very end. Jacksonville scored to take a 24-20 lead with just over four minutes remaining in regulation, but the Bills scored on their next possession to take a three-point lead. A Trevor Lawrence pick on the first play of the Jags’ next drive essentially sealed the deal and punched Jacksonville’s ticket to the postseason.
The Bills will advance to play the Patriots if the Chargers lose on Sunday night, and the Jags will look toward free agency, the draft, and evaluating what needs to be done to keep the Jags on a postseason path in 2026.
Jacksonville currently has no first-round pick. It belongs to the Cleveland Browns as part of last year’s trade to move up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Travis Hunter. The Jaguars are projected to have just over $5 million in cap space under the Top-51 calculations, and with players like left tackle Cole Van Lanen, Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne hitting free agency in the new league year, the Jags will have some tough decisions to make.
It’s a heartbreaking end to an outstanding season, and it’s been a hell of a turnaround from the previous 4-13 season. Here’s hoping for continued improvement and a deeper playoff run next season.
