JACKSONVILLE — The Jaguars will open their 2026 regular season against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, banking on a retooled running game and the addition of cornerback Travis Hunter to elevate a roster that won the 2025 AFC South title but flamed out in the playoffs.
Head Coach Liam Coen’s club let 2025 leading rusher Travis Etienne Jr. leave in free agency, replacing him with running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and the continued development of Bhayshul Tuten — a deliberate bet that a more physical ground attack will complement the passing game led by quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars were one of the league’s best offenses late last season but saw their run game disappear down the stretch in 2025, a vulnerability that surfaced in an AFC Wild Card Playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“Every week when you play good defensive backs in this league, that’s a battle,” Lawrence said. “A lot of respect for those guys. Those guys are good players. We got good players too. They know that we’re going to throw at them, that we’re going to get opportunities to go at them and we got to make them count.”
Jacksonville enters as favorites against a Browns team led by a first-year head coach who went 5-12 last season. Cleveland will counter with Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who beat the Jaguars 18-13 in Jacksonville in September 2024 despite passing for just 186 yards with no touchdowns and rushing for only 20 yards. The Browns no longer have All-World defensive end Myles Garrett but acquired third-year pass rusher Jared Verse, who recorded a sack and two quarterback hits against Jacksonville in a Week 7 matchup in London last season.
“He’s got a relentless motor,” Coen said of Verse. “He’s wiry in his physicality. He’s strong, he’s rocked up and he can run down your face. He’s rangy, wiry, he’s slippery in ways. He’s crafty. He understands the game of football.”
On defense, safety Antonio Johnson has developed into one of the NFL’s better players at his position, and Hunter figures to make the secondary significantly stronger after it allowed big plays in big situations during the playoff loss. First-year Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg is expected to lean on cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, which could open opportunities for wide receiver Parker Washington in the slot.
The Jaguars’ offensive line returns most of its starters but in reshuffled positions. Only center Robert Hainsey remains in the same spot. Anton Harrison moved from right tackle to left tackle, Ezra Cleveland shifted from left guard to right guard, and rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon will start on the left side. The starting right tackle will be either Cole Van Lanen or Walker Little. Both offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile return from last season’s staff.
Kickoff at EverBank Stadium is set for Sunday.