It may finally be Jacksonville’s time.
The Jaguars somewhat quietly had the league’s sixth-highest-scoring offense in 2025, thanks primarily to a 10-game post-bye run in which they averaged an AFC-best 32.8 points per game while going 9-1 to win the AFC South.
During the final six games of that stretch, 26-year-old Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence finally looked like a phenom No. 1 overall pick by throwing 15 touchdown passes to one interception and posting a 113.2 passer rating.
Was the competition consistently fierce? No, but you could still see the groundwork being laid in Liam Coen’s system despite the absence of two-way rookie sensation Travis Hunter.
Hunter will be back to bolster the Jags on both sides of the ball as Coen and Lawrence take it to the next level in 2026, and a defense that led the conference with 31 takeaways last year should continue to be an asset despite the loss of linebacker Devin Lloyd.
The momentum is there, and the path should be relatively unobstructed in that soft division.
Outside of the South, Baltimore and Buffalo are great but evidently flawed when it comes to winning when it matters, New England could struggle as I’ve noted, and Kansas City will have its hands full as well.
It’s entirely possible that with all that in play, the Jaguars sneak into the Super Bowl picture come winter.