When the Jaguars Will See EDGE Market Change

When it comes to Jacksonville Jaguars star defensive end Travon Walker, there is no contract drama entering the 2025 offseason -- a rarity at a position that is seeing or has recently seen names like Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt, and Micah Parsons dabble in back-and-forths with their franchises.

The Jaguars picked up Walker's fifth-year option earlier this offseason, meaning the 2022 No. 1 pick will still be under contract in 2026 even if the Jaguars do not gift him with an extension before the end of his rookie deal in 2025.

But the Jaguars may at least have some more parameters for Walker's deal sooner than later. While Walker is not expected to completely reset the pass-rusher market, he could see the market's dynamics change before his eyes over the next few weeks.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, there could be momentum in the coming weeks and months for Parsons to sign his deal.

"So, this is kind of a relaxed situation," Fowler said on SportsCenter.

"You know, when I talk to the people involved, they're like, look, it's a lull in the summer right now, not a lot going on. People are on vacation. Team officials were out on the beach somewhere. Once they reconvene for training camp, Dallas will probably lock in on this a little bit more. Typically, they do their deals late in the calendar, you know, late August, early September. We've seen that with CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, some of their other big deals."

While Parsons will likely out-pace Walker's deal, it is still key for the Jaguars to keep tabs on how the edge market develops as they prepare to pay Walker.

“A pro. A pro’s pro. He’s done things the right way since the day he walked in here. He’s got a great demeanor in terms of just being around the building, being in the meeting setting, but also out here on the grass," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said this offseason.

"He knows how to practice. You don’t see him out of control all that often. He has really good body control for a big guy. I’m sure he could probably do a lot more damage out here in some of these settings than he’s allowing on, but because he’s doing it the right way. He’s focusing on his fundamentals and techniques, he’s trying to do the right things all the time. You can definitely see some of the leadership qualities he has just naturally.”

After 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss as a rookie, Walker has seen his production explode the last two seasons. In 2023, Walker recorded 10 sacks and 10 tackles for loss and took a clear jump forward in a season in which the Jaguars badly needed him to.

Walker then had the best year of his career in 2024, recording 10.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits.