The Jacksonville Jaguars fell in their second preseason game of the season to the Carolina Panthers, 34-17.
After being undecided earlier in the week, head coach Liam Coen did not play starters in the game. He opted to rest Trevor Lawrence and several other Jaguars with two joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on deck next week.
The Panthers played their starting offense for two series, scoring on the second drive after a seven-play series where they marched 58 yards.
The Jaguars will go into the final week of the preseason with a 1-1 record, a moot fact once the regular season begins. They'll face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. from EverBank Stadium in the preseason finale.
Here are some takeaways from the second preseason game:
Rookie quarterback Joey Aguilar has solid performance in first real NFL game action
Aguilar saw extremely limited reps against the New Orleans Saints last week. He threw one pass, a 43-yard completion that set up the go-ahead score.
His outing against the Panthers saw him get a lot of game reps, completing 9 of 10 passes for 130 yards. He connected with fellow rookie Michael Wortham three times for 41 yards to move the ball. He moved well in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield and gave receivers a chance to make a play.
He was able to score on a pass play to Trebor Peña during the fourth quarter, capping a good performance.
Jaguars defense has forgettable night as starters watch
![Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end B.J. Green II (95) pressures Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) in the first quarter during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in the second preseason game on Friday night, August 21, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2026/08/22/NFTU/91414545007-preseason-game-2-panthers-at-jaguars-fhalf-009.JPG)
Jacksonville was fiery during joint practice and took it to Carolina on both sides of the ball. The same could not be said for their game against the Panthers.
They seemingly lacked energy, specifically on defense where they allowed several explosive plays. Veteran defensive back Corey Ballentine allowed Roc Taylor, who's listed as a fourth string receiver on Carolina's depth chart, to reel in a deep pass in the back of the endzone.
This ROCks!
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 22, 2026
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📲 : In-market in the Panthers app pic.twitter.com/I7fd7jkqKa
Jabbar Muhammad had another forgettable performance, washing away a really strong summer and start to training camp. Christian Braswell allowed catches, but was probably the best of all the defensive backs that played.
Maybe the worst play of the night was them allowing Jimmy Horn Jr. to zoom through the defense for a 39-yard rush. It was quite an impressive feat if you're a Carolina fan. Not so much if you were rooting for the Jaguars.
It was tough to watch as the starting defense stood on the sidelines and wasn't able to contribute.
Jimmy Horn Jr. goes for 39 yards on the end around ‼️
— NFL (@NFL) August 22, 2026
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Rookies CJ Williams, Josh Cameron continue to impress
The Jaguars got a chance to see something they've seen all summer during the game. Rookie wide receivers CJ Williams and Josh Cameron made play after play.
The two young pass catchers hit the ground running as two of the top performers in training camp. They've made catch after catch against Jacksonville's defense and they did the same against the Panthers.
Cameron had two catches for 41 yards in limited play while Williams had three catches for 19 yards and one carry for two yards.
They have stood out in a crowded receiver room and are likely to make the 53-man roster.
Jaguars play it safe with their offensive line, rest backups
The Jaguars didn't play starters in the contest, but on the offensive line they didn't even play the immediate backups. The team kept rookie Emmanuel Pregnon and Jonah Milum on the sideline instead of allowing them to play.
The offensive line consisted of players who'll likely be on the outside looking in after cut down day. They played like it, too. Quarterbacks had little to no time to throw and there were several pre-snap penalties.
The offensive line has suffered a bit of attrition in recent weeks and Coen decided to go the safe route in the game. The Jaguars got good news with Cole Van Lanen being activated off the physically unable to participate list.
With a week left in the preseason, the Jaguars are trying to make it to the finish line without any more injuries in general, but especially on the offensive line.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Panthers roll in preseason contest as Jaguars rest starters
