The Jacksonville Jaguars fired Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke after failing to make the playoffs for the second straight year. To replace them, they hired Liam Coen and James Gladstone. Together, the duo proceeded to give the roster a massive overhaul, and there's a strong chance they'll keep making changes in 2026. That may not be great news for a handful of players entering contract years, such as safety Andrew Wingard.
After going undrafted in 2019, Wingard signed with the Jags and has played six seasons for them. He made the 53-man roster as a rookie and worked his way up the depth chart. Dewey eventually earned the starting job full-time in 2021. However, he was phased out in favor of Andre Cisco the following year and has mostly seen playing time on special teams the past three seasons.
The former Wyoming Cowboy has become a fan favorite because of how quotable he is and his contributions on special teams. Moreover, he's become a respected locker-room voice, which is why nobody batted an eye when his teammates named him team captain in 2023. That same year, Wingard earned a contract extension that runs through 2025.
The seventh-year veteran is one of the few remaining players from the Dave Calwell era. Josh Hines-Allen and Logan Cooke are also still around. You can technically count Dawuane Smoot as well, but he bolted for the Buffalo Bills in 2024 and returned after this year's draft.
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Jaguars rookie Caleb Ransaw could make Andrew Wingard expendable
Andrew Wingard is a solid starter but not much else. Sure, he's a fixture of the special teams, but the Jacksonville Jaguars may not be inclined to re-sign him or fellow safety Daniel Thomas — another player entering a contract season — when you take into account that the team's brass brought in Eric Murray, Caleb Ransaw, and Rayuan Lane III in the offseason.
Murray will tentatively start at one safety spot. Wingard will need to compete with Ransaw, Antonio Johnson, and Darnell Savage for the other. Tom McManus of 1010XL and Brian Sexton of the team's official safety believe that Wingard will get the nod. But in the same breath, Sexton believes Ransaw will get a feature role at some point in 2025.
Now, Wingard was having a strong offseason before a knee injury forced him to miss significant time in 2024. If he once again makes a strong impression, he could earn the starting job next to Murray come Week 1. However, there's no guarantee he'll be able to hold onto it for the whole season with Ransaw in the fold.
And if Ransaw does eventually start, Wingard could become expendable, as Lane is projected to contribute on special teams and could eventually take his place in that phase of the game.
Andrew Wingard could ultimately play so well that he forces the Jaguars to give him a new deal. Conversely, there's a chance the newcomers take his place, and he becomes expendable by the end of the season.
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