The undrafted standout cemented Jacksonville’s comeback victory with a dramatic pass deflection, proving he possesses the shutdown instincts necessary to bolster the Jaguars' secondary depth this season.
Jabbar Muhammad skipped down the field, celebrating with his teammates after batting away Hunter Dekker's pass to seal the Jacksonville Jaguars' 24-20 comeback victory against the New Orleans Saints.
It was his lone pass deflection of the game.
Muhammad led the team with six tackles, too, including one tackle for loss. He was arguably the most important defensive player for Jacksonville in its comeback.
The second-year cornerback was his biggest critic, recognizing there are still things he needs to improve. However, he emphasized that the end matters more than the beginning.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about how you start; it’s about how you finish," Muhammad told reporters after the victory. "Going out there to make the game-sealing play, it feels real good.”
It was a standout performance for Muhammad, who is listed as Travis Hunter's backup on the left side.
His journey to this position has been lengthy. He went undrafted last year and signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.
Jacksonville waived him on Aug. 26, 2025, as part of final roster cuts. It re-signed him the following day to keep him on the practice squad. He signed a reserves/futures contract on Jan. 26 of this year.
Before heading to the NFL, Muhammad broke out as a lockdown corner at Washington in 2023. He earned coaches' All-Pac-12 Second Team and Associated Press All-Pac-12 First Team honors.
Muhammad finished his junior season with a career-high 14 pass breakups (ranking third nationally) and three interceptions (ranking second in Pac-12).
The former Husky transferred to Oregon to play for the Ducks and continued his dominance. Although he didn't record an interception, he led the conference and ranked 11th nationally with 12 pass breakups.
The 5-foot-10 cornerback finished the year with All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors.
Jacksonville could use his high-level shutdown ability as a rotational cornerback. It struggled last season defending the pass, ranking 21st at 218.1 yards allowed per game.
Part of that was Hunter missing 10 games due to a torn right LCL. He is healthy and has surprised fans by adding 10 pounds of muscle.
Coach Liam Coen still intends to play him on both sides of the ball, which could tire Hunter out. Muhammad stepping in for some snaps is the depth needed to mitigate the two-way phenom resting on the sideline for a few reps.
His performance against the Saints is the baseline for that case. He must build on that to continue earning the coaching staff's trust and become a key part of Jacksonville's defense on the 53-man roster.
