Michael Hull

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be taking an in-depth look at the Bengals' 2026 opponents. The Bengals host the Jacksonville Jaguars for the second year in a row in Week 4.

2025

Jacksonville won the AFC South in the first year under head coach Liam Coen, finishing with a 13-4 record in the regular season before losing in the Wild Card Round to the Buffalo Bills.

2021 first overall pick QB Trevor Lawrence enjoyed one of his best seasons as a pro, finishing fifth in MVP voting. He threw for a career-high 29 touchdowns and added nine more on the ground, setting a franchise record with 38 total touchdowns in 2025. In the final six games of last season, Lawrence scored 19 touchdowns and had just one turnover as Jacksonville ended the regular season on an eight-game winning streak.

Led by Lawrence, the Jaguars ranked sixth in the NFL with 27.9 points per game offensively. RB Travis Etienne added 1,107 yards on the ground and 13 total touchdowns (seven rushing, six receiving). Third-year WR Parker Washington enjoyed a breakout season, leading the team with 58 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns. Second-year WR Brian Thomas Jr. wasn't able to build off his rookie success when he crossed the 1,000-yard threshold, piling up 707 receiving yards in 2025. Jacksonville made a mid-season trade for former Patriots and Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers. Meyers had 483 yards and three touchdowns in nine games played for Jacksonville.

2025 first-round pick Travis Hunter suffered a season-ending injury during the team's bye week in Week 8. The two-way Heisman winner saw significant snaps at both receiver and cornerback before the injury, recording three passes defensed, 15 tackles, 28 receptions, 298 yards and one receiving touchdown in seven games played.

Defensively, Jacksonville was built on its run defense, allowing the fewest rushing yards per game in the league (85.6). As an overall unit, the Jaguars gave up 19.8 points per game, the eighth fewest, and forced 31 takeaways, the second most.

Offseason Changes

Jacksonville let two key contributors walk in free agency, as Etienne and LB Devin Lloyd both signed contracts elsewhere. They re-signed CB Montaric Brown to a three-year deal after he led the team with 12 passes defensed in 2025.

They also brought in RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. from Washington. Rodriguez played for Coen while at the University of Kentucky, where Coen was the offensive coordinator in 2021. Rodriguez was signed to a two-year deal to complement 2025 fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten, who takes over the lead role from Etienne.

Coaching Staff

The Jaguars were able to keep their coaching staff intact from 2025.

Coen enters his second season in Duval County after winning the franchise's fifth AFC South title in 2025. He became the first rookie head coach to win 13+ games after inheriting a team that won four or fewer games the season prior. Coen came to Jacksonville from Tampa Bay, where he served as the offensive coordinator in 2024. Under Coen, the Bucs became the first team in NFL history to finish a season averaging at least five yards per rush and a completion percentage over 70. Coen also held offensive coordinator roles at Kentucky and the Los Angeles Rams.

Coen brought in offensive coordinator Grant Udinski from Minnesota last offseason, where he served as the assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach. Udinski enters his seventh year in the NFL in 2026 and was interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs this offseason before returning to Jacksonville.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile also interviewed for head coaching roles this offseason but is back in Jacksonville for 2026. Campanile was hired by Coen in 2025 after serving as the linebackers coach and running game coordinator in 2024 for the Green Bay Packers. He enters his seventh NFL season in 2026 as well.

Series History

The big cats have clashed 26 times and are currently tied 13-13 in series wins. The Bengals have won four straight games against the Jaguars, including last year's Open in Orange game, a tight 31-27 victory.

What To Watch For

Fresh off his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign, RB Chase Brown will come up against 2025's No. 1 ranked run defense.

Week 4 will also be a battle of back-to-back first overall picks and a rematch of the 2020 National Championship between former Clemson QB Lawrence and former LSU and current Bengals QB Joe Burrow.