Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington had a breakout season in 2025 and has looked to be one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets during training camp. But Washington will seemingly continue to contribute on special teams during the Week 1 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
In an interview with 1010XL, Washington confirmed he will remain the punt returner.
"I love punt returns," he said. "[W]e're going to find out Sunday what we're going to do. I'm looking forward to it. I'll say I am the punt returner, so let's go out here and let's go do it."
Jaguars WR Parker Washington says “I am the punt returner” heading into the season opener
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) September 9, 2026
While it was his work on the offense that garnered headlines last season, he was a standout
on special teams as well. He returned 25 punts for 341 yards, including two touchdowns and one 87-yard return. He also spoke highly of his time on special teams in a recent interview, saying it gave him the opportunity to prove himself, despite being a late-round draft pick.
"I came in, I was a decent punt returner. I could catch the punts," he said. "That's really what did it, was just being able to catch the punts and be a reliable guy back there, someone they can trust. So I feel like that was my first opportunity. You know, second year I got a chance to finally take one back. Having the opportunity to just start there just proves that that's the story of the league. That start somewhere in special teams is typically how it goes."
It appears that Washington will again have the chance to prove how good is on both offense and special teams again in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Parker Washington confirms role as Jaguars’ punt returner for Week 1
