The Jacksonville Jaguars have made their first notable move of the NFL free agency period. The team announced on Monday that they have agreed to terms with cornerback Montaric Brown. According to multiple reports, it’s a three-year deal worth $33 million.
Pro Football Talk ranked the top 100 free agents across the NFL, and Brown comes in at No. 80 on the list, but he’s known as being one of the more underrated defensive backs in the NFL, dating back to last season.
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Jaguars Retain Montaric Brown on $33 Million Deal
GettyMontaric Brown #30 of the Jacksonville Jaguars hits Pat Bryant #13 of the Denver Broncos.
Montaric Brown was a 2022 seventh-round draft pick out of Arkansas. Not many 7th-round guys end up landing a $11 million AAV contract once they hit free agency, so this is a huge accomplishment for the four-year NFL veteran.
Over four seasons with the Jaguars, Brown has three interceptions (two in 2025, one in 2024) and 24 total pass deflections.
He’s played 52 games overall in his career, including 29 starts. He started 12 games with the Jaguars in 2025 and was a starter in Jacksonville’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Brown has a 69.6 pass rating in coverage last season, which was sixth best among NFL corners with at least 200 snaps, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
This is a good first move for the Jaguars, who seem adamant about doing whatever it takes to make the team better in 2026, after a successful 2025 season.
Brown is known for his strong performance in coverage, often utilized in man-coverage situations. He had a stellar career in college at Arkansas as well, where he was a standout cornerback. In his final season (2021), he led the Southeastern Conference with five interceptions and was named to the First-Team All-SEC.
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What’s Next for the Jaguars in NFL Free Agency?
The Jaguars might have a slower 2026 free agency period than 2025, and Jaguars.com writer John Oesher explains why:
“The Jaguars, after being projected significantly over the NFL’s projected 2026 salary cap in recent months, reportedly restructured the contracts of several veteran players – including Lewis, Murray and Mekari – to get under the cap in advance of this week and the new League Year. The Jaguars, according to Spotrac, enter the week a projected $6.9 million under the projected $301.2 million 2026 cap. The cap increased by about $22 million from 2025 and is over $300 million for the first time.”
Everything in the NFL revolves around finances, but the Jags are still thought to have needs at defensive tackle, backup running back, and defensive end.
They somewhat cleaned up the cornerback position with this Montaric Brown signing, but the team could also target a cheaper option in the coming weeks.
Jaguars Sign Cornerback Montaric Brown to $33 Million Deal