Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone looks on from the sideline against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Travis Register-Imagn Images

Jaguars Retain Another Veteran Before Free Agency Begins

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 2:17 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In the same week the Jacksonville Jaguars re-signed two other veteran backups, the Jaguars have made another move.

On Friday, the Jaguars announced the re-signing of veteran cornerback Keith Taylor, who joined the roster late last season when Jourdan Lewis went down with his foot injury.

Taylor Returns

The signing of Taylor follows a trend, as the Jaguars have spent time this week retaining several veterans who played backup roles last season. The Jaguars also re-signed defensive lineman Matt Dickerson and running back DeeJay Dallas earlier this week, giving the Jaguars a few backups to keep on the roster for the offseason and training camp and ensuring they won't sign elsewhere next month.

While Taylor did not play as big of a role in his limited time with the franchise as Dickerson and Dallas, it is at least worth noting that most of the Jaguars' attention lately has been focused on their lower-tiered free agents.

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Taylor joined Jacksonville in December. He was originally selected by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round (166th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft and has played in 47 games (five starts) for the Panthers (2021-22), Chiefs (2023-24) and Falcons (2025).

His career totals include 75 tackles (60 solo), six passes defensed, one forced fumble and one tackle for loss on defense and three tackles (two solo) and two forced fumbles on special teams. The Long Beach, Calif., native played four seasons at the University of Washington from 2017-20 and recorded 91 total tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and 10 passes defensed.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

While the re-signing of Taylor doesn't exactly mean much for the state of the Jaguars' cornerback room moving forward, it does at least give them another option to enter the offseason with. The Jaguars' cornerback room is set to undergo quite a bit of change this offseason, with Travis Hunter set to play more cornerback this year after he was primarily a wide receiver last season.

Then there is the state of the free agency group. Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome combined for quite a few snaps and starts for the Jaguars' defense last season, and each is set to be a free agent next month unless the Jaguars re-sign them.

Taylor isn't a replacement for either -- unless he earns it this offseason and throughout the duration of training camp. But after this contract signing, he will at least get that chance.

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

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