The Jacksonville Jaguars made the playoffs for the first time in five years, but that run ended Saturday with a 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Now the Jaguars head into 2023 trying to do something the franchise hasn’t done once in the 21st century: make the postseason in back-to-back seasons.
The future is bright for the franchise with quarterback Trevor Lawrence headlining a bevy of young talent in Jacksonville. But now the team will have to deal with the weight of expectation.
“I guess it was year one, and we want to make it a better year two,” Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun said Saturday night. “To see that success in year one, we know that we are a force to be reckoned with and we know what to expect as a team.
“Going into the offseason and coming into training camp, we are not accepting mediocrity from this team anymore. That’s for sure. We know what we are capable of. Teams are going to be ready for us. They know we are force too, and we have to play better than they are expecting.”
The Jaguars will likely enter the 2023 season as the favorite to defend their title as AFC South champions. All three division rivals are headed into the offseason with questions at the quarterback position, and two of the three teams (Colts and Texans) are still hunting for a new head coach. Meanwhile, the Titans fired their general manager and offensive coordinator.
It looks like there will be a clear path to another postseason run, but that’s often easier said than done in the NFL. A tough slate of opponents awaits the Jaguars in 2023 and any backward step could undo the progress made by the franchise.
The culture established in the locker room by coach Doug Pederson and leaders like Oluokun will go a long way toward determining if the Jaguars’ success can be sustained or if the franchise will return to its mediocre status quo.