The Jacksonville Jaguars traded Tyson Campbell to the Cleveland Browns in return for Greg Newsome because they wanted a player who better fit their defensive scheme. The move made sense on paper, but the early results aren't great.
Campbell was coming off a pair of injury-riddled seasons. The new regime gave him a chance to prove himself but saw enough of him after five games. On the other hand, Newsome didn't have a concise role with the Browns but has routinely shown playmaking skills throughout his career.
Newsome landed in Jacksonville a couple days after the win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. He had just a bit of time to get ready for the Week 6 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, so it wasn't shocking to see him start the game on the sidelines. Once the former Northwestern Wildcat got onto the field, though, the results weren't pretty.
Greg Newsome gave up a big play on his first snap with the Jaguars
Neither the Seahawks nor the Jaguars were able to get much going on offense in the first half, but that changed when Seattle quarterback found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 61-yard touchdown to make it 10-6.
Someone hit rewind. 61-yards to the end zone. 🔥 @jaxon_smith1
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/K2SywHB46G
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 12, 2025
Newsome was responsible for covering Smith-Njigba. He didn't get safety help, so there's a chance the play was the result of miscommunication.
The Jaguars had previously scored. Trevor Lawrence connected with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a 21-yard touchdown. However, kicker Cam Little missed the extra-point attempt, the first time he failed on 169 tries dating back to his collegiate career at Arkansas, according to Gary Smits of The Florida Times-Union.
One play won't make or break new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome
The Jaguars probably didn't like how Greg Newsome's stint in Jacksonville started, but that doesn't mean they're going to throw in the towel. After all, if they weren't confident he can play at a high level, they wouldn't have traded for him to begin with.
As noted before, Newsome only had a few days to get acclimated to his new team, so it's not a surprise that he struggled early on. If anything, the coaching staff deserves a bit of blame because they shouldn't have trust him on the field if he wasn't ready.
The silver lining is that Greg Newsome will have more time to prepare for Week 7, when the Jaguars play the Los Angeles Rams in London.