The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off a comeback to start the 2026 season on a high note, erasing a 14-point deficit against the New Orleans Saints to win 24-20. Now, none of this matters; it’s just preseason, but the Jaguars showed a lot of good, especially in the second half, where the back of Jacksonville’s roster outscored New Orleans’ 18-0. That said, there are still three takeaways highlighting work that needs to be done before the Jaguars are ready for week one.
What Does the Offensive Line Look Like?
The Saints were consistently in the laps of Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley in the first half of this game, leading to four sacks and seven quarterback hits. With Chuma Edoga's injury, there are even more questions surrounding an already banged-up unit. With multiple guys like Patrick Mekari, Walker Little and Cole Van Lanen already dealing with ailments, a better showing than the penalty-laden performance with the backups would have done a lot to ease the minds of the coaching staff in Jacksonville.
Is the Secondary Depth Good Enough to Take That Next Step?
There were multiple times on Saturday when New Orleans receivers found their way behind the Jaguars secondary, including a 27-yard pitch-and-catch with Bub Means that led to one of the Saints’ early scores.
The Jaguars have one of the best secondaries in the league. But Jourdan Lewis just had his 2025 season cut short due to injury, and Travis Hunter’s two-way life is going to make it difficult for him to stay on the field, so the backups behind the top three guys will have to step up.
Do the Jaguars Have the Right Backup Quarterback in Place?
Nick Mullens did not look good. He went three-for-seven for 33 yards and an interception, which killed a drive that was almost certainly going to end with points.
Carter Bradley, before he settled in, was not having a great start to his day, getting a pass of his picked off, setting the Saints up deep in Jaguars territory.
Joey Aguilar only had one completion on his one attempt to Trebor Pena, but it was a big play that net 43 yards and put Jacksonville in position to take the lead late, but he’s not good enough to play any meaningful snaps in the NFL yet.
Jacksonville needs at least one more quarterback behind Trevor Lawrence; maybe it’s time to start looking outside the room for potential answers.
