When the regular season started, the Jacksonville Jaguars probably didn't expect Cole Van Lanen to become a pillar on the offensive line. After all, the fourth-year veteran had been a backup for most of his career, and Walker Little was the starter at left tackle. But fast forward to 2026, and their roles have been exchanged.
Little was benched after struggling, while Van Lanen thrived wherever he lined up. Not surprisingly, the Jags gave him a three-year deal worth $51 million with $32.5 million guaranteed that reflected his status as Trevor Lawrence's blindside protector.
Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the news late on January 3 that the former Wisconsin Badger and Jacksonville had agreed to an extension. The team officially announced the deal the following morning.
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 3, 2026
This season, Van Lanen played both guard spots, filled in for Anton Harrison at right tackle, and later became Trevor Lawrence's blindside protector. Along the way, he only surrendered one sack and 19 total pressures.
With Van Lanen under contract through 2028, the Jags can work on retaining the rest of their pending free agents. And with this in mind, here are the biggest winners and losers of the freshly signed extension he got.
Winner No. 1: James Gladstone, Jaguars general manager
James Gladstone hasn't been afraid to make moves to address the larger scale roster. Whether it's releasing a player, trading him, or extending him, he'll do whatever it takes to make the team better.
When Gladstone became the general manager, he cut ties with several players that his predecessor, Trent Baalke, brougth in. By locking up Van Lanen, he's showing that he's willing to pay players he inherited as long as they fit the intangibly rich mold.
On top of that, the first-year general manager is proving that he won't hesitate to move on from a mistake, even if it's a costly one. Speaking of...
Loser No. 1: Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little
Early in his NFL career, Walker Little flashed but mostly held onto a reserve role. It wasn't until the Jags traded Cam Robinson at the 2024 deadline that he joined the starting lineup. Not long after, the former Stanford Cardinal got a three-year extension worth $45 million.
Little fared well in his first season as the full-time left tackle, so the expectation was that he was going to make strides when he entered the 2025 season as the unquestioned starter. That wasn't the case, and the 2021 second-round pick instead struggled so badly that he was benched in favor of Cole Van Lanen.
Just a bit over a year later, the decision to extend Little aged poorly. The Jaguars made it clear by giving Van Lanen a new deal.
Winners No. 2: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars quarterback
In past years, the Jaguars failed to give Trevor Lawrence a good supporting cast. The new regime is bucking the trend, giving No. 16 weapons and solid protection. They've spared no expense along the way, giving extensions to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and Cole Van Lanen less than a month apart.
Of course, the front office also made several additions to the offensive line and Lawrence's arsenal in free agency and the draft, but the extensions to Van Lanen and Meyers stand out because they're the most recent ones. By re-signing both, the Jags ensure that Lawrence enjoys the continuity he's lacked throughout his career.
Losers No. 2 and No. 3: Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne, Jaguars pending free agents
As noted before, the Jaguars haven't been afraid to spend money to retain talent. The issue is that they have their work cut out for the offseason. Locking up Cole Van Lanen and Jakobi Meyers is huge, without a doubt, but re-signing them means that they won't be able to bring back some of their other free agents.
Cornerback Montaric Brown, running back Travis Etienne, and linebacker Devin Lloyd are slated to become free agents in March. Before extending Van Lanen, Jacksonville was $2.9 milion over the cap. That number just went up. Simply put, the team won't have the space to sign all of their pending free agents.