JACKSONVILLE — Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen confirmed that front-line starters will not play Friday in the team’s Preseason Week 3 finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Stadium, turning the game into a high-stakes audition for young players and veterans fighting for the final 53-man roster.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, defensive ends Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, tight end Brenton Strange and wide receiver Parker Washington are among the starters who have not played in either of the first two preseason games against the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. Coen said throughout the preseason that starters would sit, opting instead for joint practices — including a session against the Buccaneers at the Miller Electric Center earlier this week — to prepare for the regular season in a controlled environment with minimized injury risk.
The biggest on-field storyline Friday may be the reserve quarterback battle between Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar. Bradley, who spent last season on the Jaguars’ practice squad, has completed 16 of 30 passes for 156 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions in two preseason appearances. Aguilar, a collegiate free agent signed after the 2026 NFL Draft, has been far more efficient, completing 10 of 11 passes for one touchdown with no interceptions. Backup Nick Mullens may or may not play, but the Jaguars kept only two quarterbacks on the active roster last season — Lawrence and Mullens — meaning Friday likely determines which reserve lands on the practice squad.
Several rookies have used the preseason to make their case. Second-round tight end Nate Boerkircher and third-round guard Emmanuel Pregnon have played in both games, with Pregnon working in at starting left guard much of the past week. Rookie free agents wide receiver Trebor Peña, running back J’Mari Taylor and defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. have practiced and played their way into what the team considers important roster discussions heading into the weekend.
Veterans are also jockeying for spots. Defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, running back DeeJay Dallas, tight ends Quintin Morris and Hunter Long, wide receiver Austin Trammell and cornerback Christian Braswell have all appeared in each of the first two preseason games and stood out at various points during training camp.
Walker, though not expected to play, said he wants the younger players to seize the moment. “I’m just looking forward to the guys coming out playing free, physical, whooping the man in front of them, and just taking the thinking out of the game and going out there and playing,” Walker said. “We know everybody’s not going to make this roster, but I want the guys, a lot of the younger guys, to go out there and put some great things on tape because it’s 31 other teams out there that they’re interviewing for, and I wish all of them the best.”
The Jaguars must trim their roster to 53 players ahead of the regular-season opener.