The Jacksonville Jaguars will make several players compete for their jobs in 2025. This will be a good way to raise the team's ceiling. It will also allow a handful of players to make an impression and potentially cash in next year.
See, the Jags have done a good job of locking up their own talent but are letting a few players play out their contract because they haven't done enough to get an extension. These five, in particular, will need to show up in the upcoming months if they want to get new deals.
Travis Etienne, Jaguars running back
After a pair of encouraging seasons, it looked like Travis Etienne had cemented his place as the top running back on the depth chart. But then, 2024 happened, and he wasn't nearly as productive as he had been the two years prior. Injuries certainly played a role in his decline in production. Couple that with Tank Bigsby's ascension, and it's easy to see why the Clemson Tiger has been the subject of trade speculation.
If Etienne stays healthy, he could still help the Jaguars. The trouble is that he'll probably need to compete with Bhayshul Tuten and LaQuint Allen for playing time. And if he gets limited time, the Louisiana native may struggle to do enough to get a new deal. At this point, a fresh start with another team may give him his best chance to boost his stock.
Devin Lloyd, Jaguars linebacker
When the Jaguars drafted Devin Lloyd 27th overall in 2022, they thought they were getting a linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed that would wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage and make plays in coverage. So far, he's failed to meet expectations. Sure, the former Utah Ute excels at stopping the run, but he's a liability when he drops back. The team's brass might've given him a warning when they declined his fifth-year option.
Compounding the issue is that the Jags drafted Jack Kiser, who may participate in a three-way battle with Lloyd and Ventrell Miller to start next to Foyesade Oluokun in 2025. Unless Lloyd comes out on top, he probably won't be in demand when he hits the open market next year.
Luke Fortner, center
Following the retirement of Brandon Linder in 2022, the Jaguars drafted Luke Fortner to fill his shoes. He flashed as a rookie but also showed that he was a work in progress. Expected to improve in Year 2, the former Kentucky Wildcat instead regressed. In fact, he struggled so badly that Jacksonville signed Mitch Morse to replace him in the starting lineup.
Morse hung up his cleats earlier this year, and the Jags brought in Robert Hainsey to replace him. Now, Fortner will need to prove in training camp that he deserves to be the primary backup at the position and be ready in case he's thrust into action.
Chad Muma, Jaguars linebacker
Devin Lloyd isn't the only linebacker on the Jaguars roster entering a make-or-break year. Chad Muma will also be looking to impress the new regime after three underwhelming seasons in Jacksonville.
The former Wyoming Cowboy has had limited chances behind Lloyd. That wouldn't be a problem if he made the most out of his playing time, but that hasn't been the case. Muma has been unremarkable when he's been on the field, which is why Ventrell Miller got ahead of him on the depth chart last year.
Muma, like virtually every other player in Jacksonville, will have a fresh start under the new regime. He'd better take advantage of it if he doesn't want to be a victim of the numbers game.
Montaric Brown, Jaguars cornerback
Let's get it out of the way. Montaric Brown has exceeded expectations after being a seventh-round pick in 2022. That said, he's been inconsistent the past two years. Heck, you could make the case that the Arkansas product got lots of ample playing time only because the Jaguars didn't have better options.
Had the Jags not released Darious Williams, and Tyson Campbell had stayed healthy, you wouldn't have seen Brown much on the football field. Now, he'll probably be CB4 behind Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, and Campbell, meaning that he'll have trouble getting lots of snaps in 2025.