Updated March 9, 2026, 7:25 p.m. ET
The Jacksonville Jaguars have not yet made an outside addition in free agency, but they’ve made a subtraction from the roster.
According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Jaguars are releasing tight end Johnny Mundt.
Mundt signed a two-year deal worth $5.5 million with the Jaguars during the 2025 offseason. Releasing him, however, frees up $2.73 million in cap space for the 2026 season, per Over the Cap.
Before joining the Jaguars, Mundt spent his first five NFL seasons with the LA Rams and the three after that with the Minnesota Vikings. That experience in Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell’s systems likely made the transition to Liam Coen’s relatively easy, and Mundt’s familiarity may have helped with the implementation of the scheme early on.
Throughout his career, Mundt has primarily been a blocking tight end, which is the role he held in the Jaguars’ offense. However, as the season progressed, Mundt’s role was reduced. He went from primarily being the backup tight end option to TE3 with the emergence of Quintin Morris.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.Why did the Jaguars release Johnny Mundt?
More than anything, this was probably a cap-saving maneuver for the Jaguars, who are short on space at the moment. Brenton Strange will lead the way at this position; Morris was re-signed, and Hunter Long is still on the roster.
Adding to this position in the draft makes a lot of sense as well, given that this appears to be a talented group this year. With Mundt’s roster spot open, that helps faciliate an addition at tight end later this offseason, while giving the Jaguars needed cap space in the present.
(This article will be updated.)