Not long after the NFL dropped the 2026 schedule, a report surfaced that the Jacksonville Jaguars were open to having joint practices with all three of their preseason opponents, the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At least one of them has confirmed that they will give it a go.
Dave Canales confirms that the Jags will hold joint practices with Carolina, per Joe Person of The Athletic. This arrangement benefits interstate rivals, as their players can get out of the usual routine and test themselves against other teams.
On top of that, the coaching staff can evaluate projected starters during practice and hold them out during the preseason, which in turn allows them to assess other players.
What's at stake when the Jaguars play the Panthers in the preseason
The Jaguars will host the Pathers at EverBank Stadium in Week 2 of the preseason. This game won't count in the standings but will be meaningful nonetheless. For starters, this will probably be the last time the starters get meaningful snaps before the regular season. In fact, nobody would bat an eye if Liam Coen rested the starters in the final against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On the other hand, Jacksonville will get to face linebacker Devin Lloyd for the first time since he signed a three-year deal worth $45 million to bolt for the Panthers in free agency. Since it's a preseason game, he probably won't see the field much, and his reunion with the Jaguars will most likely be cordial. Having said that, nobody will bat an eye if they try to target him on a couple plays.
Last year, the Panthers made the playoffs despite the fact that they went 8-9. However, they made the most out of their postseason appearance, as they had the Los Angeles Rams against the ropes before they ultimately came up short. Carolina will now be looking to build off of its impressive 2025.
The joint practices with the Panthers can help the Jaguars decide position battles
As noted before, players benefit from joint practices, but it also gives the Jaguars the unique chance to assess the roster. Against Carolina, they could make their mind about a handful of position battles, including the WR5 job, the No. 3 pass rusher behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines Allen. The two starting jobs at safety could be in play. The same is true for the spots at left and right guard.
And that's the thing, this current Jaguars regime puts a premium on competition, and won't hesitate to give a roster spot or more snaps to a player if he's shown that he deserves them. A strong outing in the preseason and joint practices could most definitely help.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars are looking for new ways to get the most out of their players without pushing them to a breaking point. Getting as many joint practices as possible will allow them to accomplish that.
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