I
n just a few days time, the NFL will crown its next champion. On Sunday, Feb. 8, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl LX, with both teams hungrier than ever to return to the NFL mountaintop and earn eternal glory. For the remaining two teams, the only focus is the Super Bowl and bringing home the Lombardi Trophy.
But for the rest of the NFL, the focus is fully on the offseason and preparing for the 2026 campaign. The Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that went 4-13 in 2024, completely flipped the script in the first season under new head coach Liam Coen, finishing 13-4 and winning the AFC South. A promising season came to a crashing halt in the wild card round but still, the Jaguars are ready to build off of 2025. But free agency will be a telltale sign on if the Jaguars will be successful in 2026– with a lot of players set to hit the open market. But luckily for the Jaguars, one of their impending free agents, linebacker Devin Lloyd, hopes that he can return to the team– assuming that both sides can work something out.
Lloyd ‘Prefers’ Jaguars Return
A first round draft pick by the Jaguars in 2022, Lloyd played well through the first few seasons of his career, but never seemed to fit into the prior regime’s defense– leading to his fifth year option being declined ahead of the ’25 campaign. But since Coen was hired and installed Anthony Campanile as the Jaguars’ new defensive coordinator, Lloyd found his footing and earned his Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection for his performance this season.
Hitting the open market after a season in which he finished with 81 total tackles, five interceptions (one pick six), seven passed defended, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery, among other stats, Lloyd says he prefers to stay in Jacksonville, but has not yet had talks with the team about coming back. While Lloyd was always a dominant tackler, the early part of his career was plagued by missed coverages and miscues but in Campanile’s defense, he has looked like a well-rounded star.
Lloyd’s Comments on Free Agency
Even though Lloyd’s preferred choice is a return to the Jaguars, he is fully prepared to leave if needed and believes he can be a star in any NFL defense.
“I take pride in being able to do what I did last year in any defense,” Lloyd said at the Pro Bowl. “Obviously, (new coaches) came in and they understood that I have a skill set. And, you know, as the weeks progressed, they really started allowing me to utilize that skill set more and more and play at the level that I’m playing.”
“So it’s always great whenever a defensive coordinator believes in you. And, you know, that’s the case with any player, you know, all these guys, you know, the coaches do put them in the best position. So, you know, I was definitely a product of that,” Lloyd added. “And then just me being right, you know, for myself as far as being at my best every week. It really just comes down to, you know, every day, ready to attack practice, ready to attack the game. And that’s nutrition, sleep, all the above.”
The Jaguars could use the franchise tag on Lloyd, but given the salary is expected to be pretty hefty at $28.8 million for 2026, the most likely scenario is that Lloyd and the team can come to terms on a contract extension ahead of the March deadline. But all Lloyd wants is to be somewhere where he can continue to grow and develop, whether that’s in Jacksonville or somewhere else.
“I want to be where God wants me to be,” Lloyd said. “For me, being back in Jacksonville, my mom lives out there. You know, obviously, my lady is out there. You know, there are a lot of pros to being out there. And so, for me, it’s just about being in the right spot. Ultimately, that’s the No. 1 most important thing, being in the right spot.”
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