The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't have wrapped up the 2025 season in a better way: They racked up 13 wins and won the AFC South after beating the Tennessee Titans in Week 18. On top of that, Liam Coen is a Coach of the Year candidate after overseeing a magical turnaround in just his first year on the job.
Simply put, the Jags are riding high ahead of their playoff matchup against the Buffalo Bills. And although their season isn't over just yet, they already know their list of opponents for 2026.
The Jaguars face a tough slate of opponents for the 2026 season
Not long after the Jaguars beat the Titans, their list of opponents for the 2026 season was revealed. All in all, it includes a healthy mix of favorable matchups and contenders.
Home:
- Texans
- Colts
- Titans
- Browns
- Steelers
- Eagles
- Commanders
- Patriots
Away:
- Texans
- Colts
- Titans
- Bengals
- Ravens
- Cowboys
- Giants
- Broncos
- Bears
In case you were wondering how the list is put together, six games, one as the home team, one as the visitor, are against the other three teams in the division (Houston, Indianapolis, and Tennessee). Four games are against the four clubs in another division in the conference. In 2026, it will be against the AFC North (Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland).
Another four are against the four teams from a division in the other conference (Eagles, Washington, Dallas, and New York). Two games will be against two teams from the other division in the conference (Denver, New England), and the 17th game will be against a non-conference team (Chicago).
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The Broncos, Patriots and Texans are the toughest teams the Jaguars will face
On paper, the Jaguars should have no trouble beating teams like the Commanders, the Colts, the Browns, the Ravens, and the Titans. All of them struggled in 2025 and failed to qualify for the playoffs. That said, the outcome of a season doesn't have a bearing on the next one, meaning that some of those clubs could experience a turnaround like the one Jacksonville just had. Heck, the Commanders made the NFC Championship as recently as 2024.
On the other hand, the Jaguars will face the Broncos and Patriots (the top seeds in the AFC this year), Chicago, and the dreaded rival Texans. The four are heavyweights that could realistically beat the Jags right now. Of course, Jacksonville is no pushover and should have no trouble building off its success in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era.
Granted, keeping the core together will be a challenge, but if general manager James Gladstone showed something in 2025 is that he can put together a talented roster. He should have no trouble doing it again in the upcoming offseason.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars underwent a turnaround in Liam Coen's first year at the helm. With their opponents for 2026 in place, they'll have a golden chance to prove their success in 2025 wasn't a fluke but rather a sign of things to come.