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Jacksonville Jaguars place kicker Cam Little (39) is celebrated for his 70-yard field goal by safety Daniel Thomas (20), right, and others during the second quarter of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Cam Little Will Force Jaguars to Make Tough Decisions

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars got a good early look at their new roster in their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While it ultimately culminated in a 25-31 loss, there were plenty of encouraging takeaways for Head Coach Liam Coen to use with his new team.

Travis Hunter Jr.'s debut was the biggest story of the night coming into the game. He and the Jaguars asserted his ability to play offense and defense, as he garnered snaps on both sides of the ball against Pittsburgh. His action was limited, so he only finished with two receptions for nine yards and a missed tackle. However, he was able to shut down his assignment and prevent any targets at cornerback.

Jacksonville's first-team offense only played one series, coming away with a field goal after a 13-play, 44-yard drive. Some preventable mistakes kept them out of the end zone, but kicker Cam Little was able to convert on a 41-yard boot. That turned out to be a good warm-up for him, as he went on to nail a 70-yarder at the end of the first half.

Cam Little's leg will give the Jacksonville Jaguars offense extra flexibility

Cam Little's 70-yard field goal for the Jacksonville Jaguars would have set an NFL record, had it occurred in the regular season. Head Coach Liam Coen is sure to take advantage of his kicker's range this year, though. Following the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Trevor Lawrence explained how helpful having a kicker of Little's caliber can be:

"I don't think we're going to be necessarily kicking 70-yarders in the first quarter or anything like that, so we would like to get him a little closer, but unbelievable to see him make that. He's an awesome guy, awesome player, obviously. But, yeah, that's huge. Especially those two-minute drills. If you can get it near the 50, you've got a really good shot. Having a guy like that is a weapon."

Coen would go on to echo his QB's words at his media availability on Monday, August 11. He also answered candidly when he was asked if Little's leg would impact his play-calling this season:

“It's an interesting study because we've talked about the analytics behind, obviously, the fourth downs and being aggressive while also having a guy that can make kicks from that range and then also having a punter who can put the ball in multiple spots. So those are some decisions that we're going to have to make as a staff... you'd love to be aggressive, especially on the plus side of the 50 to go for it and continue to keep your offense on the grass. Then you’ve got a guy that can kick it from 70, and you’ve got a punter that can pin it. So we'll have to make some decisions when the time comes.”

Special teams is by far the most underrated side of football. Having an elite kicker and punter can end up making all the difference in a season when it's all said and done. Between Cam Little and Logan Cooke, Head Coach Liam Coen now has arguably the best kicker-punter tandem in the entire NFL at his disposal. He'll have to find a balance between taking advantage of that duo and being aggressive with Trevor Lawrence and the offense.

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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