The Jacksonville Jaguars' 13-win season in head coach Liam Coen's debut not only showed that this team can build a winner around Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, but it reaffirmed that rookie general manager James Gladstone is capable of building a winner that could last for years with the right moves.
The Jags find themselves in a bit of a pickle, however. On top of the fact that they have multiple big-name players who are in line to possibly cash in during the offseason, the Jags are working with very limited cap space as the Lawrence extension starts to ramp up in terms of value.
Jacksonville might be able to save a good chunk of change in the offseason, but they need to get out ahead of these restructures and ensure that its stars are taken care of. Without these moves, the chances of repeating as division champions just got much smaller.
The Jaguars can save $21 million by restructuring these 3 contracts
Player | Cap $ Before Conversion | Cap $ After Conversion |
|---|---|---|
Josh Hines-Allen | $23,400,000 | $18,272,000 |
Arik Armstead | $19,385,294 | $8,990,000 |
DaVon Hamilton | $12,448,800 | $6,972,000 |
The Jaguars have tons of free agents who need to be accounted for, including star linebacker Devin Lloyd and starting running back Travis Etienne. Both of those two should be pursued in the offseason, but Lloyd is bordering on a non-negotiable priority after registering five interceptions and earning a Second-Team All-Pro designation in 2026.
This is not the time for Jacksonville to cheap out from a financial point of view. With the Houston Texans in possession of the best defense in the league, the Indianapolis Colts have solid offensive infrastructure, and the Tennessee Titans appear to be turning things around with sophomore Cam Ward, the AFC South requires some major investment in the roster.
Jacksonville needs to make one more big secondary addition, beef up the interior defensive trenches, and draft at least one pass rusher. The defense is going to be volatile once again due to how Anthony Campinale will sell out to create turnovers, but all of those three names up front give Jacksonville some competency.
Josh Hines-Allen is still one of the more productive pass rushers in the AFC, and Arik Armstead has shown that his versatility can be a real asset for this team. On the other hand, Hamilton has made some big plays in his role under Campinale. There aren't guys who should be sacrificed in the name of some added financial flexibility.
Jacksonville's breakout campaign in 2025 was one of the franchise's greatest seasons in franchise history, and by agreeing to these restructures, the franchise might find a way to remain as competitive as ever without totally breaking the bank.