The Jacksonville Jaguars went from a team that was relatively bereft of weapons around quarterback Trevor Lawrence to an offense that almost has too many options, as James Gladstone and Liam Coen have made it a top priority to surround their starting quarterback with as many pass-catchers as possible. Tight end Brenton Strange, specifically, kicked this offense up a notch.
Strange is eyeing a new contract before he hits the free agency market. While it makes sense for the Jaguars to give him a contract that ties him to Duval County for the foreseeable future, Jacksonville may need to worry about finances. Strange's contract may not be the best value play.
Bleacher Report noted that Strange should be the next contract extension the Jaguars prioritize, but that should come with a caveat. The 2026 season could show that Jacksonville's wide receiver room is good enough to support Lawrence without making Strange one of the 10 highest-paid players at his position.
Jaguars may need to wait to extend tight end Brenton Strange
2025 was Strange's breakout season, as he caught 46 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns despite missing five games with an injury. Lawrence's passing numbers took a slight dip when Strange was inactive, which could be a sign that Coen is leaning on him heavily when concocting his passing offense.
The Jaguars not only have Brian Thomas Jr. trying to get back on track, but the development of Parker Washington and the continued improvement of No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter will help Jacksonville go (at least) three deep at wide receiver. Strange may start the year as the No. 4 option in the passing game.
In addition to that, Jacksonville used two 2026 NFL Draft picks on tight ends in controversial second-rounder Nate Boerkircker and Day 3 minicamp standout Tanner Koziol. The combination of those two might be enough to give the Jaguars the cushion needed to move off Strange, especially as the league uses two tight-end sets more often.
Brenton Strange has not produced at a clip that makes him a no-doubt extension candidate, but with many of the rookies coming to town with question marks and the Jaguars' offense looking much better when he is a featured weapon, Gladstone's decision as to what to do with Strange is going to have some major ripple effects that will impact the team's passing for years to come.
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