The Jacksonville Jaguars have gone through something of a rough patch after a stellar 4-1 start. For a while, new head coach Liam Coen was looking like a force to be reckoned with, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile had the defense humming with 14 takeaways through five games. Since then? The offense has managed 19 points, the defense hasn't taken the ball away once, and the Jags have dropped two in a row.
Jacksonville now enters BYE week at 4-3—still a better record than many expected coming into the season—yet now, with a week off to get healthy and ponder the roster, it might be time to do a little bit of character carousel. Here are some players who might have earned their seat on the bench.
Jaguars player No. 1: Left tackle Walker Little
Left tackle Walker Little and the rest of the Jaguars' offensive line started the season strong. They gave quarterback Trevor Lawrence time to throw—even the receivers dropped the ball afterward—and made room for running back Travis Etienne Jr. to have a career start. Like the rest of the team, they seemed to have dropped off in performance, with Little a central reason why.
Sure, the former Stanford Cardinal has been consistently available, which is something you want in an offensive lineman. Yet he's allowed six sacks, four hits, and 27 pressures through seven games—much of that coming in the last few weeks after a mostly solid start to the season. The Jaguars have rookies Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monheim waiting in the wings.
Even if neither rookie was drafted to play tackle (Milum is listed as a guard, and Monheim at center), it might be time for a change along the offensive line.
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Jaguars player No. 2: Safety Andrew Wingard
When the Jaguars drafted Caleb Ransaw in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was with the expectation that he would start. That didn't pan out after a training camp injury, and Jacksonville might be feeling the loss. Sure, he never played an NFL snap, so we don't really know how well he would have performed.
Current safety Andrew Wingard isn't getting it done. He may be a fan favorite (I certainly love seeing Dewey's passion), but he got torched by Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner to seal the game in Week 6, then again in Week 7 by Los Angeles Rams' tight end Terrance Ferguson. Notice two tight ends beat out our safety—and Ferguson is listed as a fourth stringer on the Rams' depth chart.
While the Jaguars can't go to Ransaw like they planned, I think it might be time to give my personal favorite rookie, Rayuan Lane III, a shot.
Jaguars player No. 3: Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Oh boy, here we go. Look, I get it. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was a game-wrecker last year with Mac Jones at quarterback. But he's not getting it done this year. He's struggling to catch the ball and looks like he's scared to get hit. He hasn't had a game over 90 yards, and he's only caught a single touchdown—and that's with 55 targets through seven games.
Rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is showing signs that he can be the true No. 1 receiver. Parker Washington has been consistent all season, and Dyami Brown has the speed to be the deep threat the Jaguars need. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. also has the hands to be a receiver in certain situations.
While BTJ isn't destined for the bench, it's time to recognize that he's not playing to his No. 1 potential, and the Jaguars have the weapons to operate without continuing to force him the ball. Let the others shine, the ones who have played consistently well throughout the season.
Final thoughts
Yes, I know—fans fan, it's what we do. But we do it because we want to see our team succeed. What the Jaguars have done over the last two weeks isn't working. It's time to shake things up and see what these rookies can do.