Late in the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Dennis Gardeck, a linebacker who seemed to be brought to Jacksonville solely to add depth. He had been a reliable contributor on special teams with the Arizona Cardinals, but beyond that, wasn't a huge factor. Gardeck was dependable, but head coach Liam Coen thought he could be more.
In media remarks after signing Gardeck, Coen had a lot of good things to say.
"The ton of respect for the player competing against him two times a year in LA, you know, since 2018, and he was, every time we would go play the Arizona Cardinals, he was on the game wrecker board," he said. "So we would always kind of introduced the game wreckers to the players, and he was on there, whether it was for original for special teams, and then also for rushing the passer and creating some disruption."
Gardeck had been a captain in Arizona, and was highly respected across the league. He's also quickly made himself a name in Jacksonville, including stepping up against the Houston Texans to prove they can't be bullied anymore. And now, he's doing even more to prove that he's better than anyone expected.
Dennis Gardeck turnover gives the Jaguars their first touchdown
At the beginning of the second quarter, the San Francisco 49ers were driving down the field, when Gardeck was able to stop them in their tracks. He punched the ball right out of the 49ers' tight end Luke Farrell's hands, which was recovered.
Travis Etienne capitalized on it immediately, with an astonishing 48-yard run that put the Jaguars in the lead.
Dennis Gardeck delivers ‼️ Dewey scoops it up.#JAXvsSF on FOXpic.twitter.com/zzAbwOuLFf
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 28, 2025
It's another example of why Coen said Gardeck is a major factor in Jacksonville's plans for the defense. Gardeck is a versatile player, and the buzz surrounding him has been growing louder each week; it appears that Week 4 won't change that.
"I think you've seen throughout the last three weeks, him just kind of getting a little bit better and better, more comfortable coming off the injury," Coen said. "He can rush obviously a little bit, but he'll blow up tight ends, he throws his body in there, and then he can go play in space."
That Gardeck is a veteran linebacker is clearly an asset to this Jacksonville defense, which is relatively young, and playing under a new, more aggressive scheme with defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. No one may have predicted what was coming with Gardeck's signing, but he's quickly making a big name for himself.