JACKSVONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Coach Liam Coen saw the ball on the ground more than he would have liked Wednesday when the Jacksonville Jaguars opened training camp. He also saw two-way player Travis Hunter make sharp cuts on defense and aggressive moves at receiver, a welcome sight.
What caught his attention was a team that looked poised to move forward, a rarity for a franchise that hasn't had consecutive 10-win seasons in 27 years.
That also was the
last time the Jaguars made back-to-back postseason appearances.
“We haven't done anything to rest on our laurels here,” said Coen, whose first year with the Jaguars brought an AFC South title and a 13-4 season that ended with a 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in a wild-card playoff game. "Last year was about finding an edge and creating an edge. And now we are attacking these edges with a relentless pursuit.
“And at the end of the day, we want to go play anywhere, anytime, anybody, doesn't matter,” he said. “Our mindset is we got to go prove it and go earn it because consistency is the truest measure of performance.”
Changes have been relatively minor since the season ended six months ago — running back Travis Etienne went to the New Orleans Saints and linebacker Devin Lloyd is now with Carolina. The coaching staff returns, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence has a year behind him in Coen's scheme.
Lawrence is coming off six months of getting stronger instead of recovering from injuries after a relatively healthy 2025. Coen said Lawrence, a No. 1 pick entering his sixth year, has spent time at a local high school with the receivers, though that didn't translate to the first day of camp.
“I thought it was a little sloppy in terms of drops and some inaccuracy, just not throwing and probably catching a ton with each other,” Coen said. “I don't like to see the ball on the ground as much as it probably was today. But I was pleased with some of the back and forth, and some of the hits in the run game as well.”
Hunter, the No. 2 pick in 2025, made it through only two months of his rookie season when he tore right knee ligaments in practice and was done for the year. He was limited in the spring, and was full speed on the first day of camp.
“Just good to see him back out there and he looks good,” Lawrence said. "He’s flying around. Seeing him play both sides is just always pretty cool. Just excited that he’s back on the field.”
Hunter had one drop in traffic when he leapt between a pair of defenders, slamming the ball to the ground in frustration when the play was over. He also made a sharp cut at cornerback that nearly led to a pick on a broken route.
“I was pleased to see him go up with no fear and just go up and try to make a great play,” Coen said.
Running back Chris Rodriguez, one of the few offseason acquisitions, was back on the field after a surgery on his left foot from an injury the first day of voluntary workouts. Rodriguez was signed to a two-year deal to bolster the running game with the departure of Etienne.
Coen, the offensive coordinator at Kentucky when Rodriguez played there, said his contributions would not be tangible until full contact with the bruiser of a back.
“What he brings to this team, I don’t think any of us are going to see throughout the entire training camp, honestly,” Coen said. “Until we play tackle football, it’s going to be very difficult for all of us here to gain a true appreciation for who he is and what he does.”
The only injury of note was to linebacker Jack Kiser, who grabbed his right knee on the fourth play and was helped off the field. Coen said Kiser would have an MRI and he was hopeful of a quick recovery. “He wasn't screaming or freaking out in pain,” Coen said.
Coen also said the Jaguars hosted receiver Zay Jones ahead of training camp. Jones, a second-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2016, spent two years with the Jaguars before they released him in April 2024. He played only 19 games with the Arizona Cardinals the last two years because of injuries.
“We'll see how things progress, but it was really good to get to meet him,” Coen said.
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