There's no doubt that the Jacksonville Jaguars hit it out of the ballpark when they hired Liam Coen as their head coach in 2025. One of the biggest reasons he had success right off the bat was that he managed to get the most out of the players he inherited. Wide receiver Parker Washington was among them.
A role player early in his career, Washington took off under Coen. But as impressive as he was in 2025, the former Penn State Nittany Lion may not have reached his ceiling yet. In fact, a local reporter believes he'll be the start of training camp.
Parker Washington is projected to turn heads at Jaguars training camp
Michael DiRocco of ESPN was part of an AFC South roundtable and was asked which Jaguars player he expected to stand out in training camp. He chose Parker Washington, noting that he's made a strong impression each of the last two years, and nothing is impeding him from doing it again.
"There's no reason to think it won't be WR Parker Washington... again," DiRocco wrote. "He has been one of the camp standouts in each of the past two seasons. It hadn't really translated to the regular season until last year, when he moved into a bigger role after injuries to Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. Washington responded with career ghis in catches (58), yards (847) and TDs (five)."
Dating back to his rookie campaign, Washington showed playmaking skills. It's just that he didn't get nearly as many chances behind Christian Kirk. Since both of them mainly operated in the slot, Washington had limited opportunities. But once Jacksonville traded Kirk to the rival Houston Texans, he was able to come through.
It also helped that head coach Liam Coen had Washington line up in the boundaries rather than just the slot.
Following his breakout season, Washington is in a position to put up even better numbers. Heading into a contract year, the Sugar Land, Texas native hired a personal trainer to ensure he's got the stamina to take on a bigger role. Similarly, he's expected to run more vertical routes.
When you add it all up, Washington could have an even better 2026... which is why the Jaguars should go ahead and lock him up as soon as they can.
The Jaguars need to pay Parker Washington if they expect him to come through
If the Jaguars are confident that Parker Washington will be even better next season, they should go ahead and extend him right now. Early in 2026, it seemed like a four-year deal worth $64 million would be enough to lock him up. However, he's price went up the moment the Green Bay Packers gave extensions to Jayden Reed and Christian Watson.
Now, Washington is in a position to ask for $18 million per year (and maybe a bit more) since he's arguably better than both Watson and Reed. Of course, he could also bet on himself and elect to hit free agency in 2027. But by doing so, he's at risk of getting hurt and not cashing in. Conversely, by signing an extension now, he's shifting the risk to the team.
Maybe it's a matter of time before Parker Washington strikes a deal with the Jaguars. But even if he does, he's in a position to post yet another banner season.
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