The Jaguars Can Not Afford to Wait When it Comes to Parker Washington
The Jaguars Can Not Afford to Wait When it Comes to Parker Washington
The Jacksonville Jaguars would be wise to bet on Parker Washington sooner than later.John Shipley|![Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) reacts to his touchdown score during the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_907,y_145,w_3029,h_1703/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/jaguar_report/01kwfhb06r4a364ghvz6.jpg)
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Jacksonville JaguarsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Ever since the Jacksonville Jaguars' new regime has stepped foot into Duval, things have simply gone the way they have always been supposed to.
Winning games was no problem for first-year head coach Liam Coen, who has the Jaguars entering 2026 as legit contenders in the AFC at large. Top players like Trevor Lawrence improved at lightning-quick pace, explosive new additions were made with Travis Hunter and Jakobi Meyers, and everything seems to have fallen in place.
One of the biggest reasons the last 18 months have been so smooth has been the fact that it seems like the Jaguars are knocking out contract extensions for key pieces almost biweekly at this point. Since last season began, the Jaguars have signed the likes of Jakobi Meyers, Cole Van Lanen, Montaric Brown, Travon Walker, Ross Matiscik, and Brenton Strange to big new deals.
These are all reasons why there is no reason to doubt the Jaguars will eventually make Parker Washington the next in a long line of Jaguars to get his much-deserved payday from Coen, general manager James Gladstone, and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli.
But for the Jaguars to get the best possible value out of a deal with Washington, they must strike sooner rather than later, and here is why.
Washington's Situation
One thing that Gladstone has done at high level in his first year-and-a-half as the Jaguars' general manager is sign players to deals early. He got Strange and Walker done before their rookie years ended, and he never let Meyers or Van Lanen close to hitting the open market. The latest payday deadline so far has been Montaric Brown, but he was still paid before the legal tampering period even started.
That is the same path Gladstone must move forward with when it comes to Washington. The wide receiver market is one that goes through its ebbs and flows, but it is always bound to explode at some point. And while Washington's deal is certainly not competing with the likes of George Pickens or Puka Nacua, the Jaguars would likely save themselves significant cap space by signing Washington before Week 1.
Washington has all of the traits of a player whose production is due to explode in 2026 as his role increases. Washington was not a full-time player for the Jaguars through the first six games last year. Thrust into a starting role once injuries hit the room, Washington saw his production explode, leading to him becoming a central piece of the offense moving into this season.
"I think really highly of Parker. I hope that Parker thinks really highly of himself in that regard too, because we think that he's capable of what he did at the end of the season last year and more than that. And I think we thought that even early in the year where the numbers statistically may not have matched what he did at the end of the year," Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said during OTAs.
"So, it's hard for me to truly gauge how much the expectations changed, but I would say our expectation for him moving forward and currently is to continue to grow and even do more than what he did last year. I feel pretty confident saying I know he feels the same way. Not to say that we underachieved or he underachieved, but to know that he is a highly capable player who's capable of even more.”
Even more is exactly what Washington seems poised to do. With more and more receivers around the NFL getting massive deals, why should the Jaguars wait when they already know what they have in Washington?
The Jaguars have a special weapon in Washington. To ensure they keep that weapon at a price that allows them to remain flexible, they must act soon on a potential contraxt extension.
Published 2 hours ago
JOHN SHIPLEYJohn Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.
Follow _john_shipleyTwins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
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Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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LeBron To Leave Lakers2m ago
6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
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Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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