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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) reacts to a catch and run on what would have been a first down but called back for a offensive facemask penalty during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars edged the Colts on a field goal 37-34. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars Must Find the Balance Between Toughness and Discipline

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to be one of the youngest teams in the NFL in the 2025 season. Despite their relative inexperience, they're hoping to be competitive again after a poor 4-13 finish last year. There's plenty of room for improvement from their 2024 campaign, but they have their work cut out for them, even in a weak AFC South division.

The Jaguars have plenty of talent on their roster. With players like quarterback Trevor Lawrence, rookie standout Brian Thomas Jr., and 2025 second-overall pick Travis Hunter Jr., most of their most impactful players are also among their youngest. With that in mind, many of the issues new head coach Liam Coen might run into with his team this season may be issues that can only be truly resolved through experience.

Two aspects of the game that veteran squads usually hold the advantage in are toughness and discipline. Coen has steadily been preaching the latter to the Jaguars, especially after seeing a promising drive get derailed due to penalties in their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have to know when to fight and when to back down

Football is a violent, aggressive sport. Physicality and athleticism are key to building a successful NFL roster, just ask the Philadelphia Eagles, who manhandled their opponents en route to winning Super Bowl LIX.

It's imperative that a coach commands toughness and a healthy aggression from his players. Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile spoke on that following a practice. When asked about some of the altercations that occurred in early training camp, he said:

"That's a good thing. I think it means guys are usually competing. You don't want guys fighting all day and wrecking the practice. There's not time for that, but sometimes tempers flare. Usually, that means there's emotion out there, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. We don't want them fighting each other all practice, but the guys are getting heated and competing. I think that's a good thing.”

He'd go on to expand on how his Jaguars have to strike a balance between playing with physicality without crossing the line:

"You don't want to be throwing punches at all, but it's football. It's an emotional game. Nobody's worth 15 is what we say. Nobody's worth 15 yards. So, we don't want to do that, but in the heat of the battle in camp, I'd be hard-pressed to say I was ever in a football camp where there wasn't some emotion and then guys pushing and shoving and all that. So, it's kind of status quo."

Jacksonville learned firsthand how damaging penalties can be to a team against the Steelers. Some flags come as a natural part of the game, but incurring one for fighting or unsportsmanlike conduct is especially frustrating as unforced errors. The Jaguars will be working for every yard they get next season. They can't afford to give them back due to poor discipline.

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

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