Jaguars News: A shakeup could be coming to the AFC

The Jacksonville Jaguars are trying to become one of the powerhouse teams in the AFC. With some super-elite squads sitting in that conference, it is going to be a tough challenge to get to the Super Bowl each year but the Jaguars could become a team with a chance.

They actually had a chance in 2022 as they went from being 2-6 to win a playoff game. That came because Trevor Lawrence and his team took big steps as the year went along. Their ceiling is as high as any team in the league as long as they make smart decisions going forward.

Speaking of decisions, a few decisions by other teams might cause a huge shakeup across the AFC right now.

On Tuesday, we learned that the Baltimore Ravens were placing the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson. This franchise is of the “non-exclusive” variety so other teams are allowed to negotiate with him and offer two first-round picks to the Ravens to get him.

The Jaguars need to be ready for a huge shift in the AFC this off-season.

Would the Ravens match the contract that was negotiated or would they take the two first-round picks? It would likely be an NFC team making a big move like that but you never know.

Either way, losing Lamar would weaken the Ravens which is historically one of the top teams in the conference. The AFC almost always has them in the picture but a move like this could move them down for a while.

On top of that, it sounds like the New York Jets traveled to Green Bay to meet with Aaron Rodgers. They have a very good roster and are a quarterback away from becoming a top team in the league. Obviously, if they somehow landed Rodgers, they’d become a problem in the AFC.

This move would weaken the already weak NFC and give the AFC another top team for the Jaguars to worry about. All of this goes with the rest of the elite teams in the conference actively trying to get better during the off-season. It is very important for the Jags to keep up.

You’d be replacing the Ravens with the Jets in terms of relevant teams but you never know who else steps up. What if the Indianapolis Colts land a gem of a quarterback and become a contender again soon? That could happen to them or any team so no AFC team should be settling.

When you ignore how this impacts the Jaguars for a second, it is a fun time to be an NFL fan. This league is about to be shaken hard over the next few months. We can only hope that the Jaguars keep up. Trent Baalke has a tough task ahead of him but he can do it.