After a 13-win season, the Jacksonville Jaguars now must retool and make the necessary changes to achieve greater postseason success. Despite entering the playoffs on an eight-game winning streak, and momentum, their playoff run came to an abrupt end as they were eliminated in the first round at home.
The Jaguars seemingly had the game in hand as they took the lead with four minutes remaining. However, their defense, which had been one of the NFL’s best units all year, allowed a touchdown drive to the Bills with just over a minute left. One of the key members of the Jaguars defense was former first-round pick Devin Lloyd, who is currently slated to be a free agent.
Jacksonville Jaguars Linebacker Predicted to Sign Elsewhere
Unfortunately, the Jaguars likely regret their decision they made regarding Devin Lloyd. Prior to the 2025 season, Jacksonville opted not to pick up Lloyd’s fifth-year option, which made him a free agent after the season. Lloyd responded by putting together the best season of his career, earning second-team All-Pro honors.
The All-Pro selection was well deserved by Lloyd, as he put together a strong season in both run defense and pass coverage. Pro Football Focus graded him as the third-best linebacker in the NFL and he was in the top 11 for both pass and run defense. Unfortunately for Jaguars fans, Pro Football Focus now lists his ideal spot as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote, “The Buccaneers struggled mightily at the linebacker position this season, with the unit as a whole ranking 28th in PFF overall grade. Lavonte David is weighing retirement, and SirVocea Dennis ranked 90th out of 94 qualifying linebackers in PFF coverage grade (30.5) this past season, so upgrading the position with Lloyd would be an immediate boost.”
Of course, many teams, including the Jaguars, would benefit from getting a player as productive as Lloyd. As previously mentioned, the Jaguars may need to retool to achieve success when it matters most; however, the team can’t re-tool without first re-signing their All-Pro linebacker.
Upcoming Jaguars Free Agency
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, losing Lloyd may become a bitter reality as his play may have exceeded the amount Jacksonville is willing to pay. According to Spotrac, the Jaguars are currently in the bottom 10 in terms of available cap space in the NFL. There are some potential moves the team might be willing to make in order to free up cap space. However, that would also potentially diminish the overall talent level on the team.
Another option the Jaguars might have is to use the franchise tag on line. That would complicate their salary cap situation as OverTheCap currently projects the franchise tag for a linebacker at $27.5 million. That would make Lloyd’s cap hit the highest on the team, over quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lloyd had a $4 million cap hit in the 2025 season, meaning he will likely seek a big pay raise after his strong performance.
Jaguars Could Lose All-Pro to Florida Rival in Free Agency