After beating the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars sit comfortably at 9-4 and find themselves in a favorable position to make the playoffs. Liam Coen has spearheaded their turnaround, having kept the team focused when they were 5-4 earlier this year.
Of course, Coen isn't the only reason the Jags are winning. Trevor Lawrence is playing his best football of the season. On the other hand, the defense is making stops and giving the ball back to the offense. Another reason for Jacksonville's recent surge is the trade for Jakobi Meyers.
Early in the season, the Jags were struggling with drops, but trading for Meyers helped fix the issue. Since his arrival, Lawrence's production has improved, and the offense has been more efficient. This led Benjamin Solak of ESPN to talk about how much of an impact the fifth-year wide receiver has had.
Jakobi Meyers gives the Jaguars a reliable target on offense
Benjamin Solak took a look at the state of the AFC South after Week 14 and noted that the Houston Texans are a formidable foe that could beat any opponent in the playoffs, even if they played all the games on the road. But in the same breath, he isn't overlooking the Jags, noting that their offense looks much better with Jakobi Meyers in the mix. Here's the skinny.
"Meyers has brought unbelievable consistency and smoothness," Solak wrote. "Since he arrived in Week 10, 67.7% of his targets have turned into successful plays for the offense -- plays that generated positive expected points -- leading all wide receivers. And 51.6% of his targets have gone for first downs or touchdowns, sixth in the NFL."
Solak continued, "Because of his reliability, Meyers has gotten the designated touches that were previously apportioned for Hunter and Thomas. He saw multiple jet sweeps Sunday, including one in the low red zone, and was also targeted on a screen."
An undrafted free agent in 2019, Meyers spent four seasons with the New England Patriots before signing a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. The former North Carolina State Wolfack made it clear he wanted an extension earlier this year, but his request wasn't granted. He then asked to be traded. That's when he landed with the Jags in early November.
Since he's arrival, Meyers has been a stud, hauling in 28 receptions for 298 yards. On top of that, his three touchdown receptions are tied for a team best despite the fact that he's only played five games for Jacksonville.
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The Jaguars have a stud in Jakobi Meyer (and need to re-sign him)
Plans change all the time, and Jakobi Meyers is quickly giving the Jaguars something to think about. In light of his recent success, his stock is only increasing. He'll be a hot commodity if he hits free agency, and nobody will blame him if he wants to see what kind of market he has.
Keep in mind that the whole reason Meyers asked the Raiders to be traded was that he wanted a new deal, one with a noticeable raise. The three-year contract he signed in 2023 pays him an annual average of $11 million. It wouldn't be outlandish to think he wants between $15 million and $18 million per year, and Jacksonville will need to decide whether to fork out the money to keep what's been Trevor Lawrence's most reliable receivers.
The issue is that the Jags are set to have a limited amount of cap space next offseason and will need to restructure a few contracts to free space. But regardless of how they pull it off, the team's brass must make re-signing Meyers one of their top priorities.