JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have been here before.

The Jaguars are fresh off an AFC South title and a thrilling season in 2025. They made great progress after several down years, and Liam Coen has the Jaguars with their arrow pointing up in a big way. But this isn’t a new scenario for the Jaguars, who know that success next season is never promised, no matter what happened the year before.

The Jaguars were first-place playoff teams in both 2017 and 2022. They even went further in the playoffs in those seasons than the Jaguars did in 2025, even though they won more regular-season games this time around. Despite this, the Jaguars missed the playoffs the following season both times and went on to be nothing more than one-hit wonders.

There is reason to believe the Jaguars won’t face the same fate in 2026, though. We discuss all of this and more in today’s episode of the Jacksonville Jaguars Insider Podcast.

Watch today’s episode below.

One big reason the Jaguars won’t be a repeat of those two teams is the ascent of Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence looked like he was rising at the end of the 2022 season thanks to a similar hot streak that he ended 2025 with, but his 2022 run was truly nothing like what we saw from him this season. Lawrence looked like a different quarterback in 2025, hitting heights the Jaguars have never otherwise hit.

As for the 2018 team, they had Blake Bortles at quarterback. Even at his best moments, Bortles was never half the quarterback that Lawrence was for the Jaguars this past season. They are entering the offseason with an MVP-level quarterback, which could not be said in either of the past seasons.

trevor lawrenc

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs onto the field before the start of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is also the Liam Coen factor. Coen is more than just the team’s head coach; he designs and calls plays for the offense, and he has been one of the NFL’s best at calling plays over the past two seasons. Coen is a legitamate difference-maker as a head coach, which can only be said for so many coaches.

While Doug Marrone did some solid things with the Jaguars, nobody ever confused him as a difference-making variable for the Jaguars even during their playoff run. Doug Pederson looked like he could be that coach, but he ultimately proved not to be after he gave up play-calling at the end of his coaching tenure.

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