NEW ORLEANS — Rookie running back J’Mari Taylor capped a second-half rally with a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:55 remaining as the Jacksonville Jaguars erased a 20-6 halftime deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints 24-20 in their 2026 preseason opener at Caesars Superdome.
“Always good to win — appreciate and like the response in the second half,” Head Coach Liam Coen said. Taylor, who signed with the Jaguars as a collegiate free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft, rushed for 78 yards on 22 carries — 58 of them in the second half. Reserve quarterback Joey Aguilar’s 43-yard pass to rookie wide receiver Trebor Peña set up the winning score on the play before Taylor’s touchdown.
The comeback began in the third quarter when quarterback Carter Bradley’s 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Long capped a 10-play, 79-yard drive. Taylor’s two-point conversion run cut the Saints’ lead to 20-14 with 8:53 remaining in the quarter. Kicker Cam Little’s 36-yard field goal in the fourth quarter pulled Jacksonville within 20-17 before Taylor’s go-ahead score.
“It was a tough first half. Things weren’t clicking, but it’s a 60-minute ballgame,” Bradley said. “We came in here, rallied together and said, ‘We’re going to take it one play at a time, go out and execute and have fun.’ That’s the culture of what this team is now. We’re tough and we’re going to finish.”
Bradley, who spent last season on the Jaguars’ practice squad, completed 10 of 17 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Backup quarterback Nick Mullens started and completed 3 of 7 passes for 33 yards before being intercepted by Saints linebacker Jaylan Ford at the Saints 4 to end a first-quarter drive. Running back DeeJay Dallas added 26 yards on 10 carries, with 19 coming in the second half.
“I was really proud of the guys and the response, especially in the run game,” Coen said.
Little converted field goals of 54 and 32 yards in the first half to keep Jacksonville within range. The Jaguars’ defense registered four sacks — one shared by defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and defensive end Danny Striggow, one by linebacker Yasir Abdullah, one by rookie defensive tackle Albert Regis and one by defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. Aguilar, who replaced Bradley with 7:35 remaining, completed his lone pass attempt — the 43-yarder to Peña.
Jacksonville held out a lengthy list of starters, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, wide receiver Travis Hunter, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and linebacker Foye Oluokun. Offensive lineman Chuma Edoga left the first drive with an injury.
“We’ve got two weeks of good work and we need to take a step in the right direction, physically and conditioning,” Coen said. The Jaguars host the Carolina Panthers in Preseason Week 2 Friday at EverBank Stadium, with a joint practice scheduled against the Panthers Wednesday at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville.