The Jacksonville Jaguars only have one player to ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and that’s Tony Boselli. Beyond that, there are numerous Jaguars alums who should be recognized, yet they have repeatedly been snubbed.

The most notable example is Fred Taylor, a running back who – even during his career in Jacksonville – was overlooked and underrated. Taylor has been nominated multiple times and has even made it to the final round twice. Yet every time, he’s been cast aside.

This year, Taylor will have another shot at football immortality, but he isn’t the only one. Another Jaguars legend has been nominated for the first time this year, along with one of Jacksonville’s most respected and beloved coaches.

3 underrated Jaguars greats continue their push for Hall of Fame respect

52 modern-era players are advancing in voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and three Jacksonville alums are under consideration: Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith, and Tom Coughlin. All three were vital components of the most successful period in Jaguars history.

From these 52, the list of candidates will be narrowed to 25 semifinalists in a little over a month, with 20 total finalists then selected. This will comprise one coach, one contributor, three seniors, and 15 modern-era players. Between four and eight new members can be inducted ahead of Super Bowl LX.

All three Jaguars nominees are deserving of the Hall of Fame, and yet, all three have been ignored, overlooked, or snubbed for far too long. And unfortunately, some analysts believe that could be the case yet again this year. There are only a handful of spots available, and among quarterbacks alone, there are three much flashier names – Drew Brees, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers – all nominated, too.

Additionally, the Hall of Fame requires last year’s finalists automatically become finalists the next year, meaning four players – Willie Anderson, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, and Torry Holt, who played one season in Jacksonville – are guaranteed to land among the final 15. That will make it even harder for Smith and Taylor to make it to Canton, but it’s not impossible.

Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith, and Tom Coughlin advance in the @ProFootballHOF‘s Class of 2026 voting process.#DUUUVALhttps://t.co/hG8J83Yllm

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 22, 2025Tom Coughlin

Coughlin has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2021, yet he didn’t make it past the initial nominations until 2025. But even then, he was largely overlooked. This year, he has finally advanced to the next round in voting, along with 12 other coaches. Unfortunately, Coughlin will have a tough time being chosen, as he is up against other legends… including Bill Belichick and Mike Shanahan.

Still, Coughlin is no slouch. He coached the Jaguars from 1995 – 2002, before moving on to the New York Giants. Overall, Coughlin spent 20 years in the NFL and had two Super Bowl championships to his name. While a trip to the Super Bowl still eludes the Jaguars, Coughlin got them close; he took Jacksonville to the playoffs numerous times, including to AFC championship games, and built the franchise into a well-respected team from scratch.

It seems unlikely, though, that Coughlin will be able to overtake other nominees, like Belichick… although maybe the lack of cheating scandals will help voters be swayed more in Coughlin’s favor. But while 2026 may not be his year, it seems that it’s only a matter of time until Coughlin does eventually get the gold jacket.

Jimmy Smith

Smith has been nominated for the first time, and that alone makes it less likely to be named as part of the 2026 class. Yet there’s no denying how impressive his career was; he spent most of his time in Jacksonville after originally playing with the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. He won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys, though he didn’t actually play in either of his two seasons with Dallas, so those championships aren’t likely to help his case much. He was only signed briefly with the Eagles, and didn’t see his career take off until he came to Jacksonville.

But once it took off, it exploded.

Though Smith has largely been overlooked as one of the greatest wide receivers of his time, possibly because Jacksonville is a smaller market, he was still a legendary receiver. He had 862 career passes for 12,287 yards and 67 touchdowns, and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection from 1996-2000. Between 1996 and 2002, he was second only to Marvin Harrison in total catches and first in overall receiving yards. Still, like Coughlin, he has tough competition, so 2026 might not end up being his year.

Fred Taylor

Like Smith, Taylor has been largely overlooked as a running back, likely due to the small market and a lack of overall success with the Jaguars; after all, he doesn’t have a Super Bowl to his name, and he doesn’t have many individual awards, either. Furthermore, the running back position has fallen in importance in recent years, which can work against him, too. But that doesn’t mean his career wasn’t impressive, or that he isn’t deserving of the Hall of Fame.

Taylor is 18th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,695 yards, and every single eligible player ahead of him is already in the Hall of Fame. With the Jaguars, he appeared in 153 games with 137 starts, and had 2,534 carries for 11,695 yards and 66 touchdowns. He also has more 60+ yard touchdowns than any other running back, behind only Barry Sanders.

Given that it’s his seventh year being nominated, Taylor should have a better chance at making it into the Hall of Fame than Smith or Coughlin. But all three are worthy candidates, and even if it isn’t this year, they should make their way to Canton eventually.