Jaguars draft bust's career comeback continues with the Panthers

The Jacksonville Jaguars dismissed general manager Trent Baalke in 2025 because he failed to build a Super Bowl-winning team. Sure, he did have several hits, but his blunders were simply too many to overcome. There arguably were bigger ones, but there's no doubt that replacing Brandon Linder with Luke Fortner was a huge miss in 2022.

Fortner showed promise early in his stint with the Jags but was benched by 2024. When a new regime took over in 2025, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints. After a season in The Big Easy, the former Kentucky Wildcat landed with the Carolina Panthers, where he continues to rebound from his disappointing start to his NFL career.

How did Luke Fortner failed the Jaguars?

After a series of injury-marred campaigns, Brandon Linder called it quits in 2022. But even if he hadn't retired, he could have been released. Either way, the Jags had to fill a void at center, and they did it with Fortner in Round 3 of the draft.

Fortner flashed as a rookie and had the distinction of playing every single snap on offense. On the other hand, he showed he had a long way to go before establishing himself as the long-term answer at center.

Expected to progress in Year 2, Fortner instead regressed. In particular, he struggled as a run blocker, posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 44.3. However, he also left much to be desired in pass protection, giving up four sacks and 28 total pressures. By the end of 2024, it was abundantly clear that the Cleveland, Ohio native was a liability, which is why Jacksonville signed veteran Mitch Morse to start at center.

With Morse in the mix, Fortner lost his job. Then, the regime that drafted him was given the boot in 2025, and he was shipped to the New Orleans Saints in return for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders Sr. By all accounts, Fortner fared well in The Big Easy, giving up just three sacks and a solid 11 total pressures in 17 games with 10 starts.

Fortner became a free agent in 2026 and bolted for the Carolina Panthers. He'll tentatively start in Week 1 but may need to fend off rookie Sam Hecht. Still, he's come a long way since losing his job with Jacksonville.

Luke Fortner is doing a 180 after leaving the Jaguars

Players' readiness is always variable, and you can tell that the Jaguars weren't a good fit for Luke Fortner. It's also possible that he simply needed time to hone his skills.

Now, Fortner suddenly isn't a Pro Bowl center but has most definitely done enough to get back on track after a rocky start to his NFL career. His one-year deal with the Panthers is only $2.75 million, but if he builds off his promising year with New Orleans, he could have an even bigger payday in 2027.

It's also worth noting that not every player who struggles early in his career can bounce back. For every Fortner, there's a C.J. Henderson or a Taven Bryan, former first-round picks who never lived up to their draft billing and went on to have unremarkable careers.

The truth is that the Jaguars gave Luke Fortner more than enough time to put it all together but failed to come through. The good news is that he didn't throw in the towel and has managed to turn things around.

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