JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Josh Hines-Allen exited Jacksonville’s locker room quicker than normal following a crushing loss to Buffalo in the AFC playoffs.
He didn’t want to stick around for any emotional goodbyes.
The seventh-year edge rusher enjoyed the Jaguars' surprising season that much and preferred to wait a day to deliver dozens of farewells to teammates and coaches.
“We fought all year. We battled,” Hines-Allen said. “This was the most fun I’ve
had in a very long time, and I’ve got a lot of guys that can say the same thing. … This is a growing step for us, a growing moment.”
The Jaguars (13-5) came up short against the Bills on Sunday, losing 27-24 in a wild-card game that featured 28 points and four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. Jacksonville believes the painful ending set the foundation for future playoff runs.
“It was a sturdy platform to kind of push off of and see how far we can really take this thing,” receiver Jakobi Meyers said.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen was the difference in Jacksonville's finale. But the Jaguars expect to see him again in future postseasons. They’re actually counting on it.
“We felt like this was our opportunity to go take advantage of it, and we didn’t,” Hines-Allen said. “But we’ve got a lot of guys that are hungry. We’re going to attack this offseason, grow from this offseason and come back ready to win the whole thing next year.”
Jacksonville and first-year head coach Liam Coen certainly raised the bar for next season by winning the franchise’s most games since 1999 as well as the AFC South for the third time in the past nine years.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence took his play to another level during the team’s eight-game winning streak. He made too many mistakes against Buffalo — two interceptions and a failed fourth down run in the red zone — but he also showed he’s capable of putting the offense on his back when needed.
He became the third quarterback in NFL history to deliver multiple go-ahead TD passes in the fourth quarter of a playoff loss, joining Allen (at Kansas City in 2021) and New Orleans’ Drew Brees (at San Francisco in 2011), according to ESPN Research.
Jacksonville’s defense couldn’t hold either lead, an issue that will be addressed in the coming months.
The Jaguars need extra edge rushers, more help at defensive tackle and probably a replacement for second-team All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd. Throw in potential secondary changes — Montaric Brown, fellow cornerback Greg Newsome II and safety Andrew Wingard are pending free agents — and Jacksonville will try to run it back with a revamped roster.
“I have so much confidence in this group and the staff and the direction we’re heading,” Lawrence said. “I do feel like it’s sustainable. But you have to earn it every year. It’s not just going to happen.”
All eyes will be on two-way star Travis Hunter. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner from Colorado had surgery in November to repair a torn ligament in his right knee and is expected back before training camp.
But what role will Hunter have in 2026? Coen said it’s too premature to discuss whether Hunter will play both offense and defense again.
Jacksonville signed Meyers to a three-year, $60 million contract extension after Hunter's injury and has emerging slot receiver Parker Washington and 2024 Pro Bowler Brian Thomas Jr. returning.
Playing Hunter as a full-time outside cornerback is an option, giving him the ability to replace Brown and/or Newsome.
Running back Travis Etienne totaled 1,399 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in his fifth — and maybe final — season in Jacksonville. The Jaguars drafted potential replacements Bhayshul Tuten (fourth round) and LeQuint Allen (seventh) in 2025, and they have Lawrence’s cap number jumping to $24 million.
Receivers Dyami Brown and Tim Patrick along with defensive linemen Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot are unlikely to return after playing on one-year deals.
The Jaguars expect to have both coordinators, Anthony Campanile on defense and Grant Udinski on offense, interview for head coaching jobs.
Campanile, 43, and Udinski, 30, just completed their first seasons as coordinators and showed potential during one of the most impressive turnarounds in NFL history; Jacksonville became the third team to win 13 or more games a year after losing 13 or more, joining 2025 New England and 1999 Indianapolis.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
