The Jacksonville Jaguars found out who will be their London opponents when the NFL announces the slate of international games for 2026. But as of this writing, the Jags have yet to learn who they'll face the rest of the offseason. What they know is that they'll face off against several teams that made the postseason last year. Among them are the Denver Broncos.
Last year, Jacksonville had a statement win over Denver, but the Broncos advanced further in the playoffs. Heck, they reached the AFC Championship (and lost 10-7 to the New England Patriots), so you could argue that they're the better team. That said, the Jaguars want to prove that they aren't a one-year wonder and their success in 2025 was a sign of things to come.
Beating Denver again would go a long way toward proving it, even though it would be no walk in the park. Either way, this game deserves primetime treatment, as an NFL analyst suggests.
The Jaguars would love to play the Broncos in primetime
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report drew up a list of 2026 games that deserve to be in primetime. He chose the Jaguars against the Broncos, pointing out that it would give Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville a legitimate test to prove they're for real. Here's the skinny.
"Are the Jaguars for real after finishing 2025 as one of the hottest teams in pro football? This offers one heck of a test, preferably early in the season," Gagnon wrote. "Denver's defense is arguably the best in football, but Trevor Lawrence put up 15 touchdown passes to one interception while posting a 113.2 rating in his last six games for a Jags squad that hasn't lost a regular-season game since early November."
Gagnon says that this matchup will be a "fun matchup" between two of the best young quarterbacks in the league.
The Jaguars will most definitely be looking to remind Sean Payton that they're the small-market team that beat them last year. There won't be a better stage to do it than Sunday or Monday Night.
On a related note, Lawrence popped up at No. 10 in a quarterback ranking, while Bo Nix got the ninth spot. You will probably be hard-pressed to find someone outside Mile High that think Nix is better, but both signal-callers will get to show who's best when Jacksonville faces Denver.
Heck, Lawrence will have a huge opportunity to solidify his place as a top-10 quarterback and build his candidacy for the MVP award. Last year, he completed 63.9 percent of his throws for 279 yards with three touchdowns against a Broncos defense that ranked third in total points and fourth in passing touchdowns allowed. Meanwhile, Nix went 28-of-47 for 352 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Based on the stats, you can see who was the better signal-caller that game.
Winning in primetime will give the Jaguars legitimacy
The Jaguars don't get much recognition at the national level because they don't play in primetime often. Some of that stems from their inability to win games year in and year out. Another thing that plays a role is that Jacksonville is a small market. But regardless of the reason, the Jags are trying to buck the trend with Trevor Lawrence and head coach Liam Coen leading the way.
Last year, Jacksonville only got one primetime, but because it finished 13-4 last year, it has a chance to get at least two, maybe three. The Jaguars must capitalize on those chances, and if they do, they'll join the national conversation. Heck, they kind of did that when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night with Lawrence's wild touchdown run to seal the deal in 2025.
It's up to them to prove they must deserve more time in the national spotlight.
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