I don't know if you guys heard, but the Jacksonville Jaguars did some crazy business at the trade deadline. The team's gridiron commerce beefed up one of the NFL's best defenses and signaled to the entire sport that the Jags are all-in on the 2026 season.
Only the most cynical of Debbie Downers would find a reason to hate on the trades Jacksonville made to get better before the deadline. However, there is one guy who should be upset at one of the moves that went down.
To open up the wheeling and dealing, James Gladstone traded a second- and fifth-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for Jesse Bates III. The former Pro Bowler is expected to take care of Jacksonville's weakness against the deep ball. Unfortunately, he was brought in to do that since Eric Murray hasn't been able to stay on the field.
Eric Murray's future on the Jags is in doubt with Jessie Bates III in the mix
The front office will have to be very savvy this offseason. As of now, there are 20 players with expiring contracts, and many of them have been big-time contributors this season. Interestingly enough, Jesse Bates is actually one of the players who are scheduled to hit the open market once the current campaign ends.
Now, that should help Murray breathe a sigh of relief. However, the Jags have a potential out that would allow them to cut the 32-year-old without much consequence. If they don't, they'd owe the former Houston Texan a $6 million base salary in 2027. If my math is correct, that would be a $4.7 million pay raise from the $1.3 million salary he pulled in this season.
Before shutting things down, Murray played in six games and racked up 15 total tackles. He didn't register a single interception or pass batted up. From the outside looking in, those numbers don't warrant the vote of confidence that keeping him on his projected salary would signal.
Also, Rayuan Lane's gradual development gives Jacksonville a younger long-term option to consider at the safety position. If Gladstone can't find a way to bring Bates back for another season or two, Lane would already be in place as a veteran who's familiar with Anthony Campanile's system.
When you put it like that, things aren't looking good for Murray at all
They sure aren't. I guess you could say that this is a cold example of what it looks like when a GM efficiently elevates the floor of his roster over time. With a couple of young safeties (Lane and Jalen Huskey) on the roster for the next couple of seasons, there really isn't a reason for the Jags to overextend themselves while mulling over Murray's spot (or lack thereof).
The best ability is availability, and this might have been the worst time for an athlete who was signed to be a reliable stopgap to go down with a severe injury. If he was able to come back, Murray could have proved his value to the front office in the middle of a deep playoff run. Now, he'll have to hope that the business side of pro football can somehow work out in his favor.
History has repeatedly shown that this is never a good place for a player to be after a contract year.
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