Yesterday, I wrote about how Kyle Pitts' extension would affect Brenton Strange.

Today, we found out.

One day after the Atlanta Falcons signed Pitts to a three-year, $54 million deal, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed their own tight end to a lucrative extension.

Strange and the Jaguars have agreed to a three-year contract extension worth up to $48 million. The deal includes $25 million in guaranteed money. The 2023 second-round pick will now be the NFL's fourth-highest-paid TE, trailing on George Kittle, Trey McBride, and Pitts.

Shortly after the 2025 season ended, Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said that the team had already begun extension talks with both Strange and wide receiver Parker Washington, confirming that keeping both offensive weapons was a top priority. 

Now, Jacksonville has secured the services of its top tight end through the 2029 season. 

Strange, combined with rookies Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol, gives the Jaguars one of the top tight end rooms in the NFL. Jacksonville is expected to use more tight-end-heavy sets in 2026 and now has three who could all see meaningful roles in Grant Udinski's offense.

In 2025, Strange set career highs in catches (46), receiving yards (540), and touchdowns (three) in just 12 games (he missed five with a hip injury). He has emerged as a dependable target for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and is a terrific blocker, especially in zone runs, where his 85.6 PFF grade was tops among all tight ends.

Even though retaining Strange long-term was a priority for Jacksonville, was this extension still a mild surprise?

I wondered yesterday if the Jaguars would hesitate to commit big money to Strange now that the team has younger, and cheaper, options in Boerkircher and Koziol. I also pondered if Gladstone would put an extension for Strange on the back burner until a new contract for Washington was finished.

Boy, was I wrong. The Jaguars clearly value Strange as one of the pillars of the offense, and did not hesitate in making him one of the highest-paid TEs in the league. Even with Washington's emergence as a core piece of the team, Jacksonville still worked quickly to ensure Strange remained in the fold long-term without waiting to secure Washington first.

Congratulations to Strange on his new deal. He has clearly been a big part of the Jaguars' resurgence and looks to be a big part of the team going forward.

The Jaguars also did well to sign Strange to an extension without overpaying. The tight end market has exploded in recent years. However, Jacksonville was able to keep its own without offering him more money than any of the top three TEs. Impressive, especially considering the New York Giants just gave Isaiah Likely a three-year, 40+ million dollar deal in free agency, despite Likely having never been the number one TE with the Baltimore Ravens.

This deal is a win-win for both Strange and the Jaguars.

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