10 greatest Jacksonville Jaguars teams of all time

The Jacksonville Jaguars may be one of the younger franchises in NFL history, but they still have a rich history of success. Jacksonville has punched their ticket to three AFC Championships in their 30 years in the league. It certainly helps to have some legendary players like Maurice Jones-Drew, Fred Taylor, and Tony Boselli leading the charge.

Jaguars fans have reason for optimism about the future. Jacksonville brought in a new head coach and general manager this offseason. They also made an aggressive move to trade up for WR/CB Travis Hunter during the 2025 NFL Draft.

If the Jaguars deliver on their promise in 2025 and beyond, there could be a few different teams on this list pretty soon.

But as it stands now, which Jaguars squad is the best of them all? Is there one clear winner, or is there an argument for multiple teams?

Below we will explore the 10 greatest Jaguars teams of all time.

10. 1997 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 11-5

Result: Lost to Broncos 42-17 in Wild Card Round

Superlative: Lost to incredible Broncos team

When looking back, it seems like the Jaguars took a step back in 1997 compared to 1996. But I’m sure it didn’t feel like it at the time.

Jimmy Smith followed up his incredible breakout season with another solid year. He hauled in 82 receptions for 1,324 yards and four touchdowns.

By the end of the regular season, things were looking pretty good. The Jaguars won 11 games and the fanbase was filled with optimism heading into the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the Jaguars ran into a buzzsaw. They lost 42-17 against John Elway’s Broncos, who would go on to win Super Bowl 32.

There’s no shame in losing to a historic team like that. But it was still a crushing end to a good season.

9. 1998 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 11-5

Result: Lost to Jets 34-24 in Divisional Round

Superlative: Stepping stone season

The 1998 Jaguars walked so that the 1999 Jaguars could run. We’ll see them later on this list.

Jacksonville logged back-to-back 11-5 seasons for the first time in franchise history. By this point, it was clear that the Jaguars were a legitimate contender.

Mark Brunell and Fred Taylor were as solid as ever, and the defense was good but not great.

Ultimately, they lost to a spectacular Jets team coached by the legendary Bill Parcells. There’s no shame in that.

8. 2023 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 9-8

Result: Missed playoffs

Superlative: Strong start, devastating collapse

This season is still pretty fresh, and I almost considered leaving it out. But I want to be fair to Jacksonville’s hot start.

The Jaguars looked incredible during most of the regular season, starting 8-3.

Sadly, offensive line struggles and a key injury to Trevor Lawrence short circuited the team heading towards the end of the season.

The skid of the 2023 Jaguars may not have been as long as the 2018 squad (more on them in a second), but it was totally devastating. The Jaguars went from almost guaranteed playoff team to out of the playoffs in just over a month.

Looking back, it was the beginning of the end of the Doug Pederson era.

7. 2018 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 5-11

Result: Missed playoffs

Superlative: Biggest “what if” season in franchise history

It truly is a shame that the Jaguars couldn’t make the playoffs in 2018.

The Jaguars still had an elite defense, with much of the Sacksonville unit still together.

Jacksonville started 3-1 and had some huge victories over the New England and New York. But they crumbled down the stretch, finishing 2-10 after their hot start.

This is easily the most disappointing collapse in team history. And it is easy to wonder if the Jaguars would have made noise in the playoffs if they’d turned things around in time.

6. 2005 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 12-4

Result: Lost to Patriots 28-3 in Wild Card Round

Superlative: Great regular season, well-rounded roster

Byron Leftwich and Fred Taylor had Jacksonville’s offense purring.

The Jaguars had a stout defense as well with John Henderson and Marcus Stroud on the defensive line.

Jacksonville was one of the few teams to beat Pittsburgh ahead of their eventual Super Bowl victory.

Unfortunately, Tom Brady’s Patriots were too much for the Jaguars. A theme that would repeat itself several times over the next couple decades.

5. 2007 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 11-5

Result: Lost to Patriots 31-20 in Divisional Round

Superlative: Dominant rushing attack

Offense was the name of the game in 2007 for the Jaguars.

QB David Garrard had a breakout season, throwing for 2,509 yards with 18 touchdowns and three interceptions in just 12 games.

Garrard was helped by the two-headed monster of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. The dynamic duo combined for nearly 2,000 yards.

Perhaps Garrard’s finest hour was a fourth-and-two scramble against the Steelers to help seal a playoff win.

The Jaguars played hard against the 16-0 Patriots in playoffs, but could not take them down. As usual.

4. 2022 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 9-8

Result: Lost to Chiefs 27-20 in Divisional Round

Superlative: Epic playoff victory, finished regular season red hot

The start of the Doug Pederson era in Jacksonville looked pretty good.

Jacksonville won the AFC South with a 9-8 record despite starting the season 4-8.

Trevor Lawrence looked great, but he would prove his worth as a franchise quarterback in the playoffs.

The Jaguars were down 27-0 against Chargers in the first round. But they turned things around in the second half and executed the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history.

Jacksonville played Kansas City close the following week as well.

3. 1996 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 9-7

Result: Lost to Patriots 20-6 in AFC Championship

Superlative: Surprise playoff run

The Jaguars made the AFC Championship in their second season ever. That alone merits a high spot on this list.

The 1996 Jaguars are widely regarded as one of the most surprising playoff runs in NFL history. Largely because they were such a new team.

Their trip to the AFC Championship included upset victories against Jim Kelly’s Bills and John Elway’s Broncos.

No small feats for a plucky upstart franchise.

2. 2017 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 10-6

Result: Lost to Patriots 24-20 in AFC Championship

Superlative: Elite “Sacksonville” defense, almost made Super Bowl

The “Sacksonville” defense was electric.

Jacksonville’s incredible defense was loaded with talent. Calais Campbell, prime Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, and Myles Jack were an incredible unit.

The Jaguars led NFL in forced fumbles and ranked 2nd in points allowed.

Their offense was also pretty solid too. Leonard Fournette rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie season.

The Jaguars were up 20-10 on Patriots in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship. It always felt like a long shot, but the Jaguars had a real chance to make the Super Bowl.

NFL history would look a lot different if they won that game.

1. 1999 Jaguars

Regular Season Record: 14-2

Result: Lost to Titans 33-14 in AFC Championship

Superlative: Best regular season record, historic playoff blowout

There is no question that the 1999 Jaguars deserve the top spot on this list.

Jacksonville won 14 games in 1999, their best regular season record in franchise history.

They achieved so much success on the backs of their star-studded offense. Mark Brunell, Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith, and Keenan McCardell were an incredible nucleus that opposing defenses just couldn’t stop.

The Jaguars also had a great defense in 1999. In fact, they only allowed 217 points through the regular season which was the best in the NFL.

The cherry on top was absolutely demolishing the Dolphins 62-7 in the Divisional Round. It was one of the biggest blowouts in NFL playoff history.

One last fun fact: every single loss of the 1999 season came against the Titans.