5 worst contracts on the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022

No. 5 worst contract on the Jaguars in 2022 – Zay Jones, WR.

The Jaguars needed to upgrade their wide receiver corps and this year’s free-agent class wasn’t particularly strong. Nevertheless, they did the best they could and landed Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. Both will give Jacksonville’s passing game a boost but their additions came at a hefty price, literally.

The Jags gave Kirk a four-year, $72 million deal and Jones got a three-year contract worth $24 million. While the first one is coming off a breakout season and is trending up, the latter hasn’t done much throughout his five-year career. A second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2017, he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019. He’s never had a 1,000-yard season nor has come close to it.

Jones’ best year came in 2018, when he made 15 starts and hauled in 56 receptions for 652 yards with seven touchdowns. Since then, he’s only had two touchdowns and has logged more than 500 yards in a season once. You could argue that the Jaguars paid him based on potential and future production and not his previous achievements. But $8 million a year is too much and the Jags could have either signed a proven veteran or allocated that money somewhere else.

Now, Jones shouldn’t be criticized for accepting the contract the Jaguars gave him. What was he supposed to say? “You know what, guys? That’s too much, take a few millions off your offer.” Nobody in their right mind would say something like that if they were in his position, so this one falls on the Jaguars, not him.