June 30, 2026, 2:01 p.m. ET
The Jacksonville Jaguars had about as successful a first season under a new head coach as a franchise could hope for – now, they’re hoping to keep the momentum rolling.
The Jaguars missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons entering 2025 and had made the playoffs just twice in the ten seasons prior. A change was made at head coach, with rising star Liam Coen given the role, and the Jaguars traded up to the No. 2 pick in the draft to secure Travis Hunter. Those moves paid off, as they went 13-4 to return to the postseason before being eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the Buffalo Bills.
Now, the Jaguars will be hoping to take another step forward under Coen. But what is the ceiling (and the floor) for Jacksonville in 2026?
Ceiling: 12-5
The Jaguars definitely can still contend for the AFC South, and even a wild-card bid to the postseason if they don’t capture the division. But 13 wins is a tall task to repeat two years in a row. People have seen Liam Coen’s system in action for a year, and Travis Etienne is gone. So the ceiling is still solidly a playoff team, but perhaps a slightly less formidable one.
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Floor: 9-8
There is a scenario where this team regresses enough to miss the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence isn’t always consistent, and at his best, he’s not among the best quarterbacks in the league – if his play isn’t where it needs to be, that can bring the Jaguars down. And if teams make the necessary adjustments against Jacksonville after getting an entire offseason to study Liam Coen as a head coach, they could be one of those teams that makes – or just misses – the postseason.