The Jacksonville Jaguars knew that the offensive line was an area of weakness in 2024, so they spared no expense to add reinforcements in the offseason. Among the most notable players they signed was Robert Hainsey, who's expected to replace Mitch Morse at center. And while he spent time on the sidelines last year, his addition to the trenches earned recognition from Ben Cooper of Pro Football Focus.
Cooper put together a list of every team's free-agent signing with the most upside and included Hainsey, pointing out that he showed promise early in his career before he got benched in favor of then-rookie Graham Barton.
"Hainsey took a backseat to Graham Barton in 2024 and logged only 94 snaps. He had previously shown promise, joining Jason Kelce, Creed Humphrey and Corey Linsley as the only centers to not allow a sack on more than 600 pass-blocking snaps in 2022.
The Jaguars are known for shelling out chunks of money each offseason, so while the $7 million-per-year average for Hainsey is high, it leaves room for him to provide plenty of upside."
Hainsey was one of the most notable signings the Jags made in the offseason. Not only because they gave him a three-year deal worth $21 million but also because new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was his offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, he and followed him to Jacksonville.
And while Hainsey is expected to start, his contract is structured in a way in which the Jags can move on from him without incurring a massive dead cap charge in 2026.
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Robert Hainsey gives the Jags lots of upside but also plenty of value
At worst, Robert Hainsey will be a placeholder at center if the Jacksonville Jaguars add another offensive lineman in the draft. At best, they'll get a capable start that has delivered when called upon. Liam Coen, in particular, is thrilled about reuniting with his protegee.
Coen met with the press corps at the 2025 NFL Owners Meeting and praised Hainsey's mindset, pointing out that the center managed to make a strong impression despite the fact that he was benched.
"You get in there, and they had struggled to run the football for two years, right? And he had been the center of that. And that was not something he was just ecstatic about. He took that personal" Coen responded when he was asked what prompted Jacksonville to lock up Hainsey in free agency. "He was really one of the voices in that room that I thought stood out all the way through and consistent as a leader and as somebody that does things the right way, communicates at a high level."
Coen continued, "And when he does get on the field, plays his [expletive] off, and that's what he's done. Obviously, [I] worked with Robert for the last year, really feel strongly about his leadership, the communication. And when he played for us this year against the Saints, to go and watch that tape, you could see he was playing to prove it right. He was playing to say, 'Man, this is who I am. This is how I play."
"Didn't work out for him this year, Graham Barton, and wins the job and plays. But how he mentored, that situation, that relationship, while also communicating the rest of the offense. That was really why we ended up wanting to go to do that."
Below is Coen's full exchange with the media. His remarks about Hainsey start at the 10:17 mark.
Aside from starting at center next season, Hainsey will help Coen teach his system in Jacksonville. Add the fact that the Jaguars didn't breat the bank to ink him, and it's easy to see why the signing gets praise from Pro Football Focus.
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