3 Observations on Jaguars' Stunning Darnell Savage Move

So, what do we make of the move to release Savage? We break it down below.

Jaguars Never Got it Right With Savage

Simply put, the Jaguars bungled the addition of Savage from the jump. An explosive athlete who has the ability to be a genuine play-maker, Savage was signed to be a nickel cornerback last season before issues at the safety position forced him to move back to safety and out of his ideal role. Then in 2025, things didn't get any better.

Savage entered a training camp battle with Andrew Wingard and Antonio Johnson for the starting safety role next to Eric Murray, and Wingard seemingly was the hand-picked option to win it from the start. Savage is a talented player who the last regime misused, and who the current regime did not make room for.

Pushing Future Chips In on Ransaw

The Jaguars do not have much in the way of long-term answers at safety. Savage was brought in last year to be a core piece for years to come, and now the Jaguars are looking at the present-day combination of Andrew Wingard and Eric Murray and younger pieces like Caleb Ransaw, Antonio Johnson and Rayuan Lane.

Johnson has already had a tenure as a starter before that did not go particually well, while Lane profiles more as a special teams player and defensive backup like former safety Daniel Thomas. This means in terms of the long-term future of the safety position, the Jaguars are pushing all of their chips in on Ransaw. With him missing his entire rookie year due to injury, this is a leap of faith.

Who is S3?

The biggest question following the Savage move is who is the new No. 3 safety. Savage had logged 46 snaps over the first two games as the team's dime package safety, taking the place of a second linebacker in each of the last two games. Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has not been afraid to utilize three safeties throughout camp and the preseason, either, so this is a clear open role on the depth chart.

The most obvious answer is third-year safety Antonio Johnson, who has played one defensive snap this season. Johnson had a rough go at it as a starter in 2024, but a role as a No. 3 safety might be exactly what he needs to thrive.

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