JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 53-man roster is in, and the Jaguars had plenty of surprises up their sleeves.
So when examing the Jaguars’ first 53-man roster of the 2026 season, which moves stood out as the biggest surprises? We break it down below.
Jack Kiser Gets Waived 
Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Jack Kiser (54) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I thought that Jaguars linebacker Jack Kiser was an obvious candidate for the injured reserve/designated to return placement, but the Jaguars instead used their two spots on guard Patrick Mekari and defensive end Zach Durfee. The Jaguars could have kept Kiser on their 53-man roster and then moved him over to injured reserve tomorrow without ending his season or running risk of him being claimed on the waiver wire, but they are instead rolling the dice.
This is not to say Kiser had done anything to make the team. He did not play very much a year ago and did not impress in last year’s training camp, and he then injured his knee on the first day of training camp this summer and never returned healthy to the practice field. But the fact the Jaguars are already moving on from
Jabbar Muhammad Doesn’t Make Team 
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (37) is interviewed after Day 11 of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Jaguars waived Jabbar Muhammad early in the day on Sunday, marking the first true surprise of the 53-man roster rollout. Muhammad had been coined by Jaguars head coach Liam Coen as the most improved player on the roster more than once over the last few months, with the second-year cornerback having an outstanding offseason that carried over to quite a few training camp practices this summer.
With that in mind, Muhammad did not find as much success in the preseason, which helped veteran cornerback Christian Braswell close the gap on him. Braswell has the edge in terms of both experience and special teams value, and it is clear that is why the Jaguars went in this direction. Muhammad flashed a ton over the course of the spring and the summer, but it just feels like he did not perform well enough in the preseaon to warrant taking the spot of a proven backup like Christian Braswell.
Jaguars Pull Plug on Chuma Edoga 
September 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars guard Chuma Edoga (55) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
We did not have Chuma Edoga on our 53-man roster projection, but he still feels like the most significant name the Jaguars moved on from. The idea of the Jaguars releasing Edoga would have seemed out there when the Jaguars were going through their rash of offensive line injuries earlier this offseason, but the line’s health improved and they also got the return of offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen to the practice field.
Edoga is worlds better than any of the other offensive linemen the Jaguars released or waived on Sunday, but they must feel good about Van Lanen and his recovery timeline if they are willing to move on from proven offensive line depth. It could also speak to their trust in Wyatt Milum to serve as a swing tackle in the short-term if Van Lanen is not exactly 100%. The numbers never made a ton of sense for Edoga, but this was still a notable move for the Jaguars to actually execute.
No Backup SLB? 
Dec 14, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dennis Gardeck (47) reacts during the third quarter against the New York Jets at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Jaguars kept only five linebackers: middle linebackers Foyesade Oluokun and Jahlani Tavai, weak side linebackers Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs, and veteran strong side linebacker Dennis Gardeck. The Jaguars carried a backup for Gardeck on the roster last season, but they opted to wipe out the position behind Gardeck by waiving both Yasir Abdullah and Jalen McLeod.
It felt like McLeod had done enough in the preseason finale to earn a spot on the roster, but the Jaguars going with six defensive ends and four tight ends likely served as the biggest reason he was not kept on the roster. Perhaps they also see Tavai as a potential option at the SAM linebacker spot as well.
Quintin Morris Secures TE4
Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Quintin Morris (80) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This probably should not exactly be classified as a pure “surprise”, because the Jaguars set veteran backup tight end Morris up to be the fourth tight end when they traded Hunter Long to the Arizona Cardinals earlier in the day. But it is also fair to say that out of the 53 players who made the Jaguars’ roster, Morris probably had the worst training camp by a wide margin.
This does not mean the Jaguars can’t look for improved depth at the No. 4 tight end spot just because they kept Morris on the first 53-man roster of the year. But for now, he certainly looks like a player who made the roster largely because the Jaguars’ tweaks to their offensive scheme and increase in 12 personnel made it a requirement to carry a fourth tight end by default.
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