![The helmet of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Joshua Cephus (19) lies on the turf during a combined NFL football training camp session between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_200,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01kbfwswt8gv2332sprs.jpg "The helmet of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Joshua Cephus (19) lies on the turf during a combined NFL football training camp session between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacksonville Jaguars addressed several pressing needs in the offseason but will once again need to address the larger scale roster in 2025 if they want to have sustained success. One position that could use reinforcements is safety.
The team's brass signed Eric Murray in free agency and later drafted Caleb Ransaw. The former has dealt with injuries this season but has otherwise been a dependable starter, while the latter missed his rookie season with a leg injury.
Ransaw is expected to be back in 2026, but that shouldn't deter Jacksonville from making upgrades at safety. If they do, that could be the end of the road for a long-time fixture of the secondary.
Could this be Andrew Wingard's last season with the Jaguars?
Andrew Wingard is a full-time starter for the second time in his NFL career. He won the job in 2021 but was phased out in favor of Andre Cisco the following year. This time, Dewey competed for the spot next to Eric Murray in training camp and came out on top. He's logged 38 total tackles, one interception and eight passes defensed this season. All things considered, these are solid numbers. However, the Jags need better play from the safety position.
As reliable as Wingard has been, he's reached his ceiling. One area where he struggles is coverage. No. 42 simply doesn't have the range to defend the backfield on a consistent basis, which is why opposing teams will target him. He's given up a completion rate of 63.4 percent and two touchdowns this season.
Wingard was originally an undrafted free agent in 2019 and made the initial Jaguars 53-man roster as a rookie. He worked his way up the depth chart and became a staple on the special teams. The former Wyoming Cowboy signed a three-year deal in 2023 worth $9.6 million that runs through 2026, effectively making him a free agent next offseason.
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Why the Jaguars could move on from Andrew Wingard in 2026
Nobody will deny that Andrew Wingard is a fan favorite and a highly respected locker room voice. Heck, he was named a team captain in 2023 even though he didn't have a featured role on defense. That said, the Jags need to decide whether he's part of their long-term plans. Already, they began to revamp the roster in the offseason, and they'll continue next year. The issue is that Jacksonville will face a cap crunch.
Jacksonville will have just $8 million in cap space and will probably have bigger decisions than Wingard. Running back Travis Etienne, offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen, and wide receiver Jacoby Meyers are slated to hit the open market. Couple that with the fact that defensive end Travon Walker will enter the last year of his rookie deal, and the front office could have more pressing priorities.
This doesn't mean that Andrew Wingard absolutely won't be back after 2025. However, the Jaguars may have trouble re-signing him unless he agrees to a team-friendly deal. This could lead him to explore other options and the possibility of starting for another club.