JACKSONVILLE — Rookie defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. recorded 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries and a pass defensed as the Jacksonville Jaguars shut out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-0 in the 2026 preseason finale at EverBank Stadium, capping a camp that head coach Ben Coen and General Manager James Gladstone called a turning point for the defending AFC South champions.
Thomas finished the three-game preseason with a team-high 3.5 sacks, anchoring a defense that held Tampa Bay scoreless for four quarters. “The defense as a whole, with the shutout, was huge — being led by Bryan,” Coen said.
The shutout was the headline, but the Jaguars’ offense provided its own moments. Kicker Cam Little drilled a 61-yard field goal in the second quarter to open the scoring. Reserve quarterback Carter Bradley threw a third-quarter touchdown pass to running back DeeJay Dallas and ran for a two-point conversion to push the lead to 11-0. A punt return touchdown by Wortham with 5:48 remaining — followed by quarterback Joey Aguilar’s conversion pass to wide receiver Chandler Brayboy — sealed the 19-0 final.
Backup quarterback Nick Mullens started and played a scoreless first quarter, completing five of seven passes for 62 yards, including a 34-yard completion to tight end Hunter Long on the game’s opening possession. Bradley replaced Mullens and completed eight of 15 passes for 77 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. Aguilar, who finished the third quarter and played the entire fourth, completed seven of nine passes for 57 yards.
The defensive effort extended well beyond Thomas. Linebacker Amari Burney and defensive tackle T.J. Bollers also registered sacks, with Bollers posting 1.5. Rookie defensive end Wesley Williams recovered a fumbled snap at the Buccaneers’ 15-yard line in the first half, setting up a drive that stalled when Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison defensed a Bradley pass to wide receiver Austin Trammell on fourth-and-6 from the Tampa Bay 11.
The Jaguars rested virtually their entire starting lineup. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers, wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, left tackle Anton Harrison, center Jonah Monheim, linebacker Foye Oluokun, defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, safety Antonio Johnson and dozens of other projected starters were among those who did not play.
Coen said the preseason — which the Jaguars finished 2-1 with victories over the New Orleans Saints and Buccaneers and a loss to the Carolina Panthers — reinforced the identity the team built during its 2025 division title run. “You look at the physicality, just truly understanding how we have to play,” Coen said. “That became a little bit of a calling card of our team last season, but then you have to reintegrate that. You have all these new players, all these rookies, all these young guys who are playing the majority of the snaps in these games. Our team did a nice job of truly putting that together.”
Gladstone echoed that assessment during a first-half interview on the Jaguars’ preseason broadcast. “I think it was a great build,” Gladstone said. “There’s still a little bit more to do. We have some time before now and when we kick things off with Cleveland in Week 1, but there was a pretty good step from where we entered things.”
The general manager acknowledged the difficult roster decisions ahead as the Jaguars must trim from 90 players to the NFL regular-season limit of 53 by Sunday at 6 p.m. “We’re jacked about the energy, the effort, the continual improvement that showed up,” Gladstone said. “We’ll try our best to keep as many of these guys around as we possibly can. It’s not always all in our control. Other teams could have the luxury of claiming them off waivers once they’re cut, but we would love to continue to develop so many of these guys we already have in house.”
Coen said the coaching staff has a clear picture of its roster. “I think we have a pretty good idea right now on the 53,” Coen said. “Some of the more difficult conversations we’re about to probably have are about P (practice) squad. Those are going to be some more challenging conversations that we’re about to have in the next two days.”
Teams can begin signing players to the practice squad on Monday. The Jaguars open the 2026 regular season against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium on September 13.