Jacksonville Jaguars star Travon Walker is set for 2026 and working to secure his future, but his immediate focus is a well-deserved family break before contract decisions loom.
There's no offseason for NFL front offices, and that's perhaps more true this offseason as eight to 10 teams are actively searching for a head coach and many others are interviewing coordinator candidates, all knowing there will be more gaps to fill downstream.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are riding that coaching carousel, awaiting decisions on whether their two top assistants will go or stay, even while coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone also must prepare for April's draft and for free agency, which will start heating up in March.
Still, the Jaguars have some unfinished business with players from their 2022 draft class. One they've locked up for at least one more season.
Jacksonville opted to use their fifth-year option last spring for Lloyd's draft classmate, 2022's No. 1 pick Travon Walker, keeping the defensive end under contract for an additional two years. Walker is guaranteed an estimated $14.75 million salary for 2026, after which the 25-year-old Georgia native and his team will decide whether to pursue an extension with the Jaguars or take his talents to the free-agent market.
"I'm not speaking on anything dealing with that," Walker said in a Jan. 11 interview about whether he was thinking about extending his contract with the Jags. Walker said he was ready for some down time. He can't wait to spend time with his family, away from football -- he loves his teammates, but he looks forward to taking his nieces to school up every day.
"I just play ball and let my agent and (the) people upstairs do what they going to do."
But just playing ball this season was rough, as Walker dealt with multiple injuries throughout the fall. The 6-foot-5, 292-pounder injured his left wrist in Week 4's road win over the San Francisco 49ers. Following surgery, he returned to practice within days, outfitted with a short, fingerless black cast that reporters quickly took to calling a club. With swelling under the cast, Walker didn't return for Week 5 and was limited for weeks afterward.
In Week 11, just as he was getting up to speed on the field, Walker suffered a left knee injury against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11 that kept him sidelined and out of practice for another two weeks. Essentially, the former Georgia Bulldog was collared by injuries, pain, and recovery for fully half of the season.
"It definitely took a toll on me," he told reporters. "Playing with one hand as a defensive lineman, it's hard to do certain things. But I definitely tried to do my best within what I could do with limited range of motion, things of that nature."
Loath to use injuries as an excuse, Walker chalked his season up to the "the 100-percent injury rating in this game."
"If I'm out there on the field, regardless of if I have on cast or brace, or whatever it is, I want to be the best ... I can be every day."
"I'm not going to back down until I'm 6 feet under."
Walker was still a key part of the Jaguars' defense this season, which was ranked No. 1 against the run and No. 2 in takeaways.
Appearing in 14 games, starting 12, Walker totaled 38 tackles (18 solo) and 3.5 sacks.
Those stats are far off the marks of his previous two seasons, when he finished with 52 tackles (21 solo) and 10 sacks; as well as 61 tackles (30) and 10.5 sacks, respectively.
He may have played a limited number of snaps in the Jags' 2025 season, but his intimidating presence on the defensive line was palpable for opponents.
"I haven't even scratched the surface of the potential that I know that I can be capable of playing," Walker said. "I'm not even scratch the surface, man."
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