Jaguars head coach Liam Coen knows that nobody will care about the team only playing six games in Jacksonville over the next two seasons. His team must find a way to overcome the lack of home games because the standard won't change.
If "home is where the heart is," the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to need a medical miracle over the next two years.
That's because, including the team's Week 1 season opener against the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday, the Jaguars will only be placing six of their next 34 games in Jacksonville.
Renovations for the Jaguars' home, EverBank Stadium, have been going on for awhile now. The upper bowl is closed off, reducing the capacity to about 42,500, a drop of 27,000.
The stadium is an active construction zone. The players and coaches have to deal with it every day. The sights. The sounds. It's not exactly the welcoming environment most professional sports teams get to experience while at home.
Head coach Liam Coen made it a point to address the situation with his club long ago. Determined not to let the Jaguars have a Year 2 letdown after going 13-4 in Coen's first season, he made sure to tell his players that the construction will not be an excuse.
“I wanted to get out ahead of that,” Coen told The Athletic. “I said, ‘Guys, we’re going to hear this. We’re going to see it. We may feel it. But it ain’t gonna be a f—ing reason. It’s not going to be an excuse. Because at the end of the day, nobody cares in this league. Nobody cares.’”
Won't Be Around Much To See It
EverBank Stadium, home of the Jaguars, is undergoing a $1.4 billion renovation. The Stadium of the Future will be ready for the Jaguars in 2028. The project will transform the current stadium into a modern, "one-of-a-kind" football palace grand enough to host Super Bowls and other high-profile events. New renderings show what the finished product will look like, and it appears to be worth the wait.
While the construction might take away from the Jaguars' home field advantage, the team won't be around much to see it.
Over their 17 games this season, the Jaguars have eight home games and nine road games. Two of those "home" games will be played in London. That leaves only six games in Jacksonville for the entire season.
One down. Five to go.
Next season, there won't be any games in Jacksonville at all. As the renovations continue, the Jaguars will play their "home" games at Camping World Stadium in Orlando during the 2027 season, before returning to Jacksonville to christen Stadium of the Future in 2028.
"This Is Our Reality"
Coach Coen spoke with reporters and was asked about the lack of home games, and how he and his players have handled the situation.
Coen was blunt, saying that it is just something they must deal with, and that nobody is going to care or lower their expectations of the team because they won't be playing at home.
"This is our truth, this is our reality, and nobody in this league and in this fanbase is going to care at the end of the day."
He also said that the results, and the team's record, are going to be the only factors anyone uses to judge their success. They won't get a pass if they disappoint just because they will barely be at home. The standard isn't going to lower.
Final Thoughts
Coen is right. In the NFL, you are judged by your record and nothing else. It doesn't matter if your star quarterback tore his ACL or if you have to play the vast majority of your games away from your own city.
The Jaguars will have to find a way to overcome their lack of home games over this season and next. The team laid a foundation for sustained success under Coen last year, and he will not allow the stadium renovations to create cracks in that foundation or stop the Jaguars from continuing to build on it.
