The Jacksonville Jaguars, established in 1995, are a professional football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. Owned by Shahid Khan and coached by Liam Coen since 2025, the Jaguars play their home games at EverBank Stadium. While they have not yet made a Super Bowl appearance, the team has had several playoff runs, including three AFC Championship Game appearances in 1996, 1999, and 2017.
The Jaguars have won five division titles, with their most recent successes coming in 2017, 2022, and 2023. Notable players include quarterback Trevor Lawrence, outside linebacker Josh Hines-Allen, and running back Travis Etienne Jr. Over the years, the team has experienced various phases of competitiveness, with the 2017 defense, dubbed "Sacksonville," standing out as one of their most successful periods.
The Jaguars share intense rivalries with the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans, with the AFC South division being a major battleground for the team.
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Founded | 1995 as an NFL expansion team |
Owner(s) | Shahid Khan |
President | Mark Lamping |
General Manager | Ethan Waugh (interim GM) |
Head Coach | Liam Coen |
Stadium | EverBank Stadium |
Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
SuperBowl Championships | None |
SuperBowl Appearances | None |
NFL Championships | None in the pre-Super Bowl era |
Conference Championships | 0 |
AFC Championship Appearances | 3 total (1996, 1999, 2017) |
Division Championships | 5 (AFC Central + AFC South) |
AFC Central Division Titles | 1998, 1999 |
AFC South Division Titles | 2017, 2022, 2023 |
Playoff Appearances | 9 total (as of 2024 season) |
Best Regular Season Record | 14-2 (1999 season) |
Notable Era | "Brunell Era" (late 1990s), "Sacksonville" (2017), "Lawrence-Pederson Era" (2020s) |
Official Website | www.jaguars.com |
The Jacksonville Jaguars were established as an expansion team in 1995 as part of the NFL's move to add more teams in the 1990s. The team was awarded to Shahid Khan, a Pakistani-American businessman, and it marked the NFL's return to the state of Florida after the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars were one of two teams added in 1995, alongside the Carolina Panthers, with both teams making their debut that year.
The Jaguars' early years were marked by impressive success for an expansion team. In their second season (1996), they made a surprising run to the AFC Championship Game, just falling short of a Super Bowl appearance. They repeated this feat in 1999, once again reaching the AFC Championship Game, but were ultimately defeated. The team's success during its early years was largely attributed to head coach Tom Coughlin, who established a disciplined, tough style of football. Under Coughlin, the Jaguars became known for their strong defense and powerful running game.
However, after the departure of Coughlin in 2002, the Jaguars went through a series of head coaches and struggled to regain their previous success. The team moved from the AFC Central Division to the AFC South in 2002 after the NFL realignment, where they faced stiff competition from teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.
The team experienced its darkest period between 2000 and the early 2010s, often finishing at the bottom of the division standings. Despite this, the Jaguars were able to attract a number of notable players over the years, including quarterback Mark Brunell, running back Fred Taylor, and wide receiver Jimmy Smith, who contributed to the team's occasional success.
The franchise began to show signs of life again in the mid-2010s under head coach Doug Marrone. In 2017, the team reached the AFC Championship Game once more, led by a dominant defense dubbed "Sacksonville," spearheaded by defensive stars like Calais Campbell and Jalen Ramsey. However, they fell short against the New England Patriots in a heartbreaking loss.
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Dec 20, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone speaks with members of the offense during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
After a few more years of rebuilding, the Jaguars finally found a true franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, selected as the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. His arrival, combined with the hiring of Doug Pederson as head coach in 2022, rejuvenated the team. Pederson, a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, helped develop Lawrence into a potential star and led the Jaguars to the playoffs in his first season, marking a significant turning point for the franchise.
As of now, the Jaguars are positioned as a rising force in the NFL, with young talent and renewed leadership aiming to bring sustained success to a team that has long sought to reach its full potential.
The Jaguars-Titans rivalry is arguably Jacksonville’s most bitter and enduring. Both teams joined the AFC South in 2002 after years of clashes as AFC Central foes. The animosity runs deep, particularly after Tennessee eliminated a 14-2 Jaguars team from the playoffs in the 1999 AFC Championship Game, handing them all three of their losses that season. Games between the two are often gritty, hard-fought battles that have had significant divisional and playoff implications. Jacksonville’s recent rise under Trevor Lawrence and Tennessee’s own competitive run have kept the fire alive in this high-stakes, physical matchup.
Despite Indianapolis holding a historical advantage in the win column, the Jaguars have been a consistent thorn in the Colts’ side, especially in Jacksonville. Notably, the Jags famously upset the Colts in Week 18 of the 2021 season to keep them out of the playoffs. With both franchises undergoing recent rebuilds and now battling for AFC South supremacy, this rivalry continues to intensify. Star talents like Trevor Lawrence and Anthony Richardson have the potential to make this a marquee QB showdown for years to come.
The rivalry with Houston is the most recent in the AFC South but has grown as both teams look to emerge from rebuilding phases. Jacksonville and Houston have traded dominance over the years, with recent matchups highlighting the potential future face-off between Trevor Lawrence and Texans QB C.J. Stroud. With both rosters full of young stars, the Jaguars-Texans rivalry could become a defining AFC South matchup in the 2020s.
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Nov 26, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA;Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (95) sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Although not in the same division, the Jaguars and Steelers have shared a surprisingly intense postseason rivalry. Jacksonville has twice stunned Pittsburgh in the playoffs—first in 2007 and again in 2017—both times at Heinz Field. Those dramatic wins, paired with several close regular-season contests, have fueled a competitive rivalry marked by physical defensive battles and memorable moments. It remains one of the more underrated yet fierce non-divisional rivalries in the league.
This rivalry peaked in the 2010s when Jacksonville tried to break through New England’s AFC dominance. The most notable clash came in the 2017 AFC Championship Game, where the Jaguars held a 10-point fourth-quarter lead before falling to Tom Brady’s Patriots. Though the teams haven’t faced off as frequently in recent years, the sting of that loss remains in Jaguars history, and any rematch stirs strong emotions.
Dating back to their AFC Central days, Jacksonville and Baltimore had a heated rivalry in the late 1990s, with the Jaguars dominating early on. As both franchises evolved, the intensity cooled, but recent matchups—like Jacksonville’s thrilling comeback win in 2022—have reignited the feud. These two hard-nosed, physical teams still carry a level of tension that traces back to their foundational years.
The Jaguars are entering the 2025 season with a mix of high-profile extensions, strategic free-agent acquisitions, and a focus on developing young talent. Despite carrying $58.8 million in dead cap—the fourth-highest in the league—they maintain approximately $29 million in cap space, providing flexibility for future moves.
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Jan 14, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates after beating the Los Angeles Chargers during a wild card game at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
As of the 2025 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars' projected starting lineup is: