Washington Commanders Opponent Overview: Jacksonville Jaguars

In the final installment of our offseason previews and after taking a look at matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings, we dive into the Washington Commanders' final non-divisional opponent of the 2026 regular season when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars for the first time since 2022.

2025 Record: 13-4, First in AFC South, Lost in Wild Card Round

Key Players: Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Brian Thomas Jr, Travis Hunte, Arik Armstead

Key Losses: Travis Etienne, Devin Lloyd, Tim Patrick, Greg Newsome

Key Additions: Chris Rodriguez, Dennis Gardeck

How they Fared:

Jacksonville had their second-best regular season in franchise history, only behind their 14-2 finish in 1999, ending 13-4, while winning the division for the second time in four years. Unfortunately, they had a quick exit in the Wild Card round, losing 27-24 to the Bills, with Josh Allen scoring on a one-yard rushing touchdown with 1:04 to play that put Buffalo up for good. As a team, the Jaguars finished 11th in both total offensive and defensive yards. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence started every game in 2025 and passed for over 4000 yards and a career-high 29 touchdowns, adding another nine on the ground. The team did have to replace running back Travis Etienne over the offseason after he rushed for over 1000 yards for the third time in four years, while adding a career-high 13 total touchdowns.

After exploding onto the scene as a rookie, wide receiver Brian Thomas had a down season, finishing second on the team with 48 catches for 707 yards. The player who finished above him in those categories was Parker Washington, who had 58 catches for 847 yards and is going into a contract year in 2026. Tight end Brenton Strange finished third, while mid-season acquisition Jakobi Myers finished fourth. Second overall pick Travis Hunter played in only seven games, playing both wide receiver and cornerback, before going down with a torn LCL.

The Jaguars finished with the second-most interceptions, second-most overall takeaways, and the fewest rushing yards given up last year. The team did lose second-team All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd, who finished third in tackles and tied for the team lead in interceptions with five. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun continues to be a mainstay on the Jaguars defense, finishing first on the team in tackles while adding 11 pass defended, two forced fumbles, and a sack. Josh Hines-Allen led the team in sacks with eight to go along with 12 tackles for loss and 28 quarterback hits. Arik Armstead was second in sacks with 5.5, with Travon Walker right behind him at 3.5. Safety Antonio Johnson was tied with Lloyd’s five interceptions, while cornerback Montaric Brown bested everyone with 12 passes defended. Jacksonville was one of the most balanced teams in the league last year and hope that trend continues in 2026.

2026 Expectations:

DraftKings has the Jaguars with the second-best odds to win the AFC South at +245, behind the Texans. They have the 17th-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +3000. Fans and the rest of the league are looking to see if they can go back-to-back seasons making the postseason for the first time since going four straight years from 1996-99.

Key Matchup: Who has more explosive plays?

Jacksonville’s defense faced more pass attempts than anyone else in the NFL last year. They picked off 22 passes, but teams weren't afraid to test them. Washington’s passing attack may be counted on more in this game, as the Jaguars’ rushing defense was the best in 2025 and should be more of the same in 2026. Wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs will need to come up with big plays to get the Commanders’ offense moving. Tight end Chig Okonkwo could be counted on to take a short pass into a long run. Luke McCaffrey and rookie Antonio Williams will have opportunities, as well. But the Jaguars will also be looking for big plays in the passing game. With young corners Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil leading the Washington secondary, Trevor Lawrence and his receivers will look for any big-play opportunities they can get. With Thomas, Myers, Washington, and at times Hunter, they will look for any weakness in the secondary. Whoever can take advantage of those opportunities will come out on top.