Gladstone makes Devin Lloyd NFL’s highest-paid linebacker![\"Lloyd](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01kf10f36ws00a42pf9t.jpg\" "\\"Lloyd")
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Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) celebrates a fumble recovery with cornerback Montaric Brown (30) during the second quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine\/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine\/Florida Times-Union \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Lloyd is a pending free agent ahead of the start of the league year in March, and the question will arise of whether or not the Jaguars should pay him now or use the franchise tag to work on a new deal at a later date. Lloyd was an elite linebacker this past season, securing five interceptions, including the 99-yard pick-six on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs, a 57.1passer rating allowed, 81 tackles, and a missed tackle rate of 6.9.<\/p>\n
These numbers alone, plus being named an All-Pro this season, make him one of the top potential free agents available this offseason. Still, Gladstone<\/a> won’t let him out the door, signing Lloyd to a long-term extension that would make him the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL at just over $21 million per year, locking down one of the heart and souls of Jacksonville’s defense.<\/p>\n The Jaguars will have the best wide receiver corps in the NFL Oct 19, 2025; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts after a play against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n By the end of the Jaguars’ season, it became clear just how talented their group of wide receivers was. Brian Thomas Jr. had a rough 2025 campaign due to inconsistencies, but he remains one of the top weapons in this offense. Mid-season acquisition Jakobi Meyers became Lawrence’s most reliable pass-catcher, while Parker Washington also became one of the biggest threats on the field with his explosiveness, athleticism, and well-rounded pass-catching prowess. <\/p>\n Add in a healthy Travis Hunter<\/a> in the rotation as a true vertical threat and run-after-catch weapon, and the Jaguars are set at the position. This year, the group takes Lawrence and Coen’s offense to a level that they had never imagined, helping the team become one of the best passing offenses and the best wide receiver corps in the NFL in 2026.<\/p>\n Jaguars finish with fewer wins, but reach the AFC Championship Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) reacts to a false start during the first quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine\/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine\/Florida Times-Union \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n It would come as a major surprise to see the Jaguars win 13 games for the second consecutive season. While it would be a major accomplishment, the team will have to make some changes on both sides of the ball where a regression is expected, but their threat in the AFC should not change.<\/p>\n Next season, Lawrence continues to showcase high-level play to become one of the best signal-callers in the game. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile sports another strong defense and an even better secondary with Hunter’s return, while Coen’s run game shows improvement with a young running back room led by second-year player Bhayshul Tuten. Despite a tougher schedule, Jacksonville finishes 11-6, wins the AFC South again, and reaches the AFC title game for the first time in nearly a decade.<\/p>\n Never miss the best content on your beloved Jaguars when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter, equipped with the latest news, analysis, the best stories, and much more. SIGN UP HERE NOW.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Be sure you follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI <\/a>and @_John_Shipley<\/a> and make sure you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Jacksonville Jaguars may have a long offseason ahead of them, but it is due to the disappointment…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":683437,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2060],"tags":[7,212,125,2401,213,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-683436","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville-jaguars","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-jacksonville","10":"tag-jacksonville-jaguars","11":"tag-jacksonvillejaguars","12":"tag-jaguars","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115908636981292290","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=683436"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683436\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/683437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=683436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=683436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=683436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Hunter](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01kf113xnm8xs127jj3p.jpg\" "\\"Hunter")
<\/p>\n![\"Lawrence](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01kf11ms8ed409bcj7ns.jpg\" "\\"Lawrence")
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