COLUMN: Evan Engram Said Nothing Wrong About Jaguars

Former Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was often the voice of reality for the locker room, which makes his recent comments comparing the Denver Broncos and his old team all the more legitimate.

When asked what he likes about the Broncos' locker room culture during training camp this week, Engram drew a comparison between Denver and the Jaguars that detailed a key issue in Jacksonville.

"That is probably my favorite thing about being a Bronco right now. Just the way that this team connects. the way they push each other, the way they challenge each other. The way we bonded. Just the standard we have for ourselves, the camaraderie that we have, the laughs that we have, like, it is an incredible locker room," Engram said.

"A lot of great leaders. I tell people, all my family, it is hard to be the first one in the building. I am used to being the first one. In Jacksonville, I was always the first one. It was really easy. Here, it is kind of tough. A lot of guys doing it at a high level. It is just a contagious environment, and we all want to get better and we all have high standards that we want to achieve together."

What Engram said here is completely fair; he had an inside look at the ins and outs of the Jaguars' franchise and locker room over the last three years, frequently being one of the go-to veterans in terms of public messaging. Engram was also voted a captain during his time with the Jaguars, making him an authority when it comes to asessing their old culture.

And at the end of the day, that is really the only thing Engram is talking about. The culture he knew in Jacksonville while a member of the team for three years. A culture cultivated by a roster, coaching staff and front office that has been completely reshaped in 2025 under Liam Coen, James Gladstone and Tony Boselli.

The Jaguars that Engram knew were led by different coaches, staff members, and players. There are some clear holdovers, such as Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travon Walker, but the Jaguars did not retain a single internal free agent and said goodbye to players like Engram, Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and others.

The Jaguars are a mostly new team. It remains to be seen how the new-look Jaguars will perform, but it is clear Engram is evaluating a Jaguars team that no longer exists. And for that, he deserves little criticism.