Following his breakout season, linebacker Devin Lloyd left the Jacksonville Jaguars and signed a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Carolina Panthers. While the final amount wasn't what he and his camp might've liked, he was able to cash in big.
Still, it makes you wonder why the Jags didn't make an offer to Lloyd if he didn't get a top-market contract like he was expected before free agency began. Well, the former Utah Ute just revealed that they did make him an offer.
The Jaguars made Devin Lloyd a contract offer before signing with the Panthers
One week after signing with Carolina, Lloyd had his introductory press conference. He touched on several topics, and towards the end of the exchange, he was asked whether the Jags had tried to re-sign him. His answer was simple: "There was an offer on the table," the 2025 Second-Team All-Pro nod responded.
Reporters didn't ask a follow-up, nor did Lloyd feel prompted to expand on his answer, so it's hard to tell just what kind of offer Jacksonville made. But based on the fact that he treated it like a footnote in his conference, it may not have been much.
Later in his availability session, Lloyd credited the Jaguars coaching staff for helping him improve, specifically defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and linebackers coach Tem Lukabu.
"When we talk about coaching, coaching helps develop players," Lloyd said (2:42 mark). "Obviously, every player is talented, and they have skill set, and now it's on coaches at all levels, from high school all the way up to the NFL, to really help those players get the most out of the talent that they have. So, I mean, you asked me specifically. Yeah, I had great coaches last year, and they definitely helped me. I give the most credit to them. They helped me use my hands. It was one thing they emphasized."
Lloyd continued, "And really honed in pretty much every day, every day at practice, it was, use your hands, use your hands, so you can play violent. You can play physical in the run game, shed off blocks, make plays. That was the thing that coach Camp and coach Tem Lukabu emphasized the most. That's what I give him the most credit for, and then, scheme-wise, it comes down to no matter where you're at, having your players be in the right position to make the most plays as possible."
Below is Lloyd's full exchange with the Panthers media.
In his first three seasons, Lloyd was a fine-but-not-great linebacker. This is why nobody batted an eye when the Jags opted to decline his rookie option. He went on to have a banner year, getting substantially better in pass coverage while registering a team-best five interceptions. Rightly, the Kansas City, Missouri native wanted a contract that reflected his improvement.
Lloyd was projected to get a deal that paid him anything from $15 million to as much a $20 million per year. He ended up getting the lower-end. Having said that, he joined a team with a rich history of linebackers, ranging from Luke Kuechly to Dan Morgan, who is currently the general manager.
The Jaguars were ready for Devin Lloyd's free-agency departure
General manager James Gladstone met with the local media after the early free agency spending. He talked about the void Devin Lloyd left but believes the Jaguars have the personnel to replace him. Ventrell Miller will most likely be the first in line to replace him. The Florida Gator started nine games in 2024 and has flashed playmaking capability.
Perhaps sophomore Jack Kiser may get a chance to compete, but the team's brass could also add a linebacker in the draft. Anthony Hill Jr. and Jacob Rodriguez are two intriguing prospects Jacksonville could target at No. 56.
That said, the Jags have bigger needs. In particular, the interior defensive line and the pass rush could use upgrades, so they may wait until the later rounds to bolster the linebacker corps.
Regardless of how much the Jaguars offered, it wasn't nearly enough to convince Devin Lloyd to stay. Now, they'll need to replace him, and he'll try to be the best player he can be for the Panthers.