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Super Bowl LXI Road Map: Why the Jaguars Can (or Can't) Win It All

By Gilberto Manzano Sports Illustrated

Updated June 9, 2026 6:17 AM

Welcome to Super Bowl LXI road maps, where we look at every team's chances of winning it all in 2026. We'll analyze the summer optimism before providing a reality check of what's to come. First path to assess: the Jaguars.

The narrative about James Gladstone has changed multiple times since the Jaguars hired him at age 34 last year, making him the youngest GM in the NFL.

Conversations about him being too young quickly shifted after Gladstone's shocking draft-day trade with the Browns in 2025. Jacksonville moved up three spots from No. 5 to select two-way star Travis Hunter and gave up a handful of picks, including a '26 first-rounder. Gladstone received praise for taking a page out of his mentor Les Snead's playbook. The Rams' GM is known for the mantra "F them picks."

Gladstone went on to make a few more trades in his memorable first season, including acquiring wide receiver Jakobi Meyers ahead of the trade deadline, spurring the Jaguars to the AFC South title with a 13–4 record. (Jacksonville came up short in a thrilling 27–24 wild-card battle against Buffalo.)

With the early success, Gladstone was mentioned as an executive of the year candidate, but the conversation has shifted again. The young GM has received criticism this offseason for a quiet free agent period and for letting talented players leave. He has also been accused of reaching for picks in April's draft. With just one winning season, perhaps Gladstone doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt for his offseason decisions, but he is still sticking to Snead's playbook. Snead, who just executed the Myles Garrett trade, has the flexibility of making all-in moves every other season because he hits on draft picks outside of the first round and maintains a healthy salary cap.

The jury is still out on Gladstone, who worked under Snead for nine years, especially when it comes to drafting, because Hunter had a quiet rookie season after sustaining a season-ending knee injury that sidelined him for the final 10 games. But perhaps not being aggressive on outside free agents was Gladstone's way of maintaining flexibility and setting up another trade down the line if the Jaguars continue to build off what they did last year. Allowing in-house free agents to play elsewhere cleared the way for Gladstone to hammer out sizable extensions with Meyers, edge rusher Travon Walker and left tackle Cole Van Lanen.

Making it work with what they already had could be the best path for the Jaguars to compete for a Super Bowl. In his first season, coach Liam Coen turned Trevor Lawrence into a dark-horse MVP candidate and did that with minimal contributions from wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who struggled in 2025 after a sensational rookie season. Now, it seems a bounce-back season from Thomas could be the key for the Jaguars' offense to hit the next level and become a serious threat in the AFC.

Lawrence and Thomas have had a strong connection throughout OTAs, which has consisted of many deep balls, something that wasn't seen as frequently in practices last year. Perhaps continuity and having a roster that gets to work with a coaching staff that brought back all three coordinators after a 13-win season is more beneficial than swinging on notable free agents.

The Jaguars let running back Travis Etienne Jr. leave for New Orleans, but the team already had a promising replacement with Bhayshul Tuten, a fourth-round draft gem from Gladstone and a pick acquired in the Hunter trade. The team also signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. to a two-year, $10 million contract, which was a lot less than the four-year, $52 million deal Etienne received.

The Gladstone/Coen partnership probably deserves the benefit of the doubt because they've gotten plenty right since arriving in Jacksonville, quickly building a team that can win it all in 2026.

Jaguars general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen will try to get Jacksonville one step closer to its first Super Bowl. | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Leadership

Surprisingly, there weren't many changes to Coen's staff despite all the success in Jacksonville last year. Teams did express interest in offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile for head-coaching vacancies. However, both decided to return for a second season with the Jaguars.

Udinski interviewed with the Browns and Bills, and Campanile met with the Dolphins, Ravens and Cardinals. Both coordinators were highlighted in Conor Orr's annual "future head coaches" list.

If the Jaguars make another playoff run, that could be enough for Udinski and Campanile to cut the line when it comes to head-coaching opportunities in 2027. Campanile maximized a defense that didn't have the most talent and was still viewed as unproven before turning it into the No. 1 run defense that generated 31 takeaways.

While Coen calls the offensive plays, Udinski was instrumental in getting Lawrence to spread the ball more in 2025, which ultimately earned the quarterback some MVP chatter down the stretch.

Most influential roster move

The Jaguars were quickly sold on Cole Van Lanen after making him their permanent starting left tackle midway through the season. However, it was a gamble to lock him up with a three-year, $51 million contract extension, and not because he made only eight starts at the new position.

Van Lanen sustained a knee injury that sidelined him for the playoff game against the Bills, and he hasn't participated in offseason practices. But for the Jaguars to re-sign him so quickly after the injury seems to be a strong indicator that they expect him back before the season opener. Also, there's depth at tackle with Walker Little, who lost the starting job to Van Lanen.

With how well Lawrence played with Van Lanen protecting his blindside, it was a no-brainer for Gladstone to re-sign him. It was also a testament to Coen and his coaching staff for getting that kind of production from a 2021 sixth-round pick who had only three career starts heading into last season.

Why this offseason move will or (won't) work

Gladstone's decision not to pay linebacker Devin Lloyd (he received a three-year, $45 million deal from the Panthers) could be more costly than letting Etienne walk because they're now thin at the position.

Lloyd turned into an All-Pro under Campanile's guidance, playing a vital role in the team generating frequent takeaways, while also recording a career-high five interceptions. But this move shouldn't be too surprising, given that Gladstone has stuck to the Snead playbook, and off-ball linebackers are rarely prioritized under that front office. The Jaguars can get away with playing only linebacker Foyesade Oluokun because there's talent across the front with edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Walker.

But the Jaguars are going to need better production from the secondary. Greg Newsome II wasn't retained after being swapped for Tyson Campbell in a midseason trade with the Browns, another reason why the Jaguars need a breakout Year 2 from Hunter.

The Jaguars are still planning to utilize Travis Hunter as a cornerback and wide receiver. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Breakout player candidate: Travis Hunter, CB/WR

There's been plenty of chatter about Jacksonville possibly being hesitant to use Hunter as a two-way player after his rookie season was cut short due to a noncontact knee injury. However, the Jaguars still plan to utilize last year's No. 2 pick as a cornerback and wide receiver. They've been pleased with how much he's progressed since the injury, and all signs point toward him being cleared before training camp. Hunter looks noticeably different to those around the organization after going from 183 pounds to 190.

Perhaps Hunter will play more on the defensive side after showing high upside as a cornerback in the seven games he played as a rookie. Hunter was also starting to find his stride as a wide receiver before the injury, recording eight receptions, 101 yards and one touchdown against the Rams in his final game of 2025.

Hunter played 67% of offensive snaps last year compared to only 36% of defensive snaps. The snap counts could look different in Hunter's second season, but he's still viewed as a cornerstone piece offensively and a dangerous downfield threat for Lawrence.

Missing piece

Even if Hunter does provide a breakout season, that likely won't be enough for the Jaguars to get away with playing with fewer linebackers and more defensive backs, which could be the case with Lloyd now in Carolina.

Jourdan Lewis's arrival last year as the team's slot cornerback allowed the Jaguars to be more aggressive, but it's not easy to generate 30-plus takeaways on an annual basis, putting more emphasis on improving the pass defense. However, the Jaguars have been pleased with the development of cornerback Montaric Brown and safety Antonio Johnson. If the offseason vision for the secondary doesn't translate to the field, expect Gladstone to take a big swing at corner or safety after the first quarter of the season.

Realistic outlook

The Jaguars have a roster good enough to win it all despite standing pat in free agency. It would go a long way, though, if Gladstone and Coen can get impactful production from their first two draft classes. More importantly, a bounce-back season from Thomas and a breakout year from Hunter could be the key to the Jaguars scoring enough points against the Texans' vaunted defense and taking the AFC South again. Jacksonville should be excited about this team's trajectory.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Super Bowl LXI Road Map: Why the Jaguars Can (or Can't) Win It All .

This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 6:00 AM.