The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently one of the worst teams in the NFL. While there are many reasons behind their struggles, plenty of the decisions they made in the offseason have played a huge role.
Apart from having an unremarkable 2024 free-agent class and their overall lack of direction, the Jags also made several decisions that came back to haunt them in the regular season. The following four are among the most notable ones.
Raiders: The K'Lavon Chiasson
Nobody batted an eye when the Jags gave up on 2020 first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson after four underwhelming seasons. After all, he had ample chances to show he could make an impact but came up short every time. When free agency came, the team's brass made no attempt to bring back the former LSU Tiger, and he ended up with the Carolina Panthers.
In a surprising turn of events, the Panthers released Chaisson before the regular season. He would eventually sign to the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad and later their active roster. He's wasted no time taking advantage of his third opportunity, logging a career-best four sacks and 28 total tackles in 13 games. In Week 16, the Texas native registered a sack against his former team.
Even worse, the Jaguars signed Arik Armstead to replace Chaisson and he's been underwhelming despite the fact that he's getting an annual average of $14.5 million. Take that, Trent Baalke.
Texans: The division crown
The Jaguars were supposed to challenge the Houston Texans for the AFC South title in 2024 but instead ended up tumbling down the division. Even worse, Jacksonville got swept by its dreaded rival. What makes this even more infuriating is that the Texans aren't even that good this season.
While Houston made a late playoff push late in 2023, it's having a hard time winning games. The truth is that the Texans are only the best team in the AFC South because the rest of the division, including the Jaguars, has been dreadful.
Packers: Brandon McManus, the kicker that beat the Jaguars
Back in 2023, the Jaguars thought that signing Brandon McManus would put an end to the revolving door they had at kicker for several years. However, the veteran struggled throughout his stint in Jacksonville. Having seen enough, the team's brass kicked him to the curb in the offseason.
Although McManus quickly latched onto the Washington Commanders, he was cut when it was revealed that he was dealing with a lawsuit. He was eventually vindicated and wasted no time signing with the Green Bay Packers.
Coincidentally, the Jags faced Green Bay this season. Surprisingly, they took things down to the wire, but McManus went on to kick the game-winning field goal that put the Packers on top. Poetic Justice?
Patriots: A 6th-round pick in exchange for Mac Jones
When the Jaguars traded a measly sixth-round pick to the New England Patriots, it looked like they had acquired the best possible insurance for Trevor Lawrence if he missed time. After all, the former Alabama standout was coming off a couple of underwhelming seasons but had shown promise as a rookie. At the time of the deal, it was thought that he could bounce back under the right circumstances. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.
Since joining the Jags, Jones has struggled, completing 65.4 percent of his throws for 1,273 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. To make matters worse, his picks have come at the worst possible time, and more often than not, with the game on the line. 15 weeks into the regular season, it's fair to say that Jacksonville would rather have the sixth-round pick.