From left, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Anton Harrison (77) and lineman Fred Johnson (74) drill with blocking pads as offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett directs during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Friday, July 25, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Why the Jaguars Are Looking Ahead

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars have spent a lot of practices in helmets and shorts since the start of offseason practices.

Through three days of training camp, the Jaguars have done what they can to simulate things like timing, the running game, pass-rushing, and more.

Jaguars ready for pads

But until the pads come on next week, the Jaguars know that is all they are doing: simulating the real thing, which looks a lot different than the kind of football they are practicing now.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is cognizant of this, too. While the Jaguars are still putting in good work during the first week of camp, it is fair to say they are looking forward a bit too.

"A lot of the guys you could tell want the pads on. They just want to get to that point. It feels like we've been in t-shirt, shorts for a long time now, and, they're right," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Friday.

"They are. It's not quite football. It's still not. Football is, as we all know, a very physical game, and it's and it's meant to be played that way. And, ultimately, you can't really do it until you get the pads on.”

The Jaguars are certainly doing their part to simulate a physical and spirted practice, with the Jaguars' defense having a specific energy to practice.

This is a Jaguars squad who clearly has a chip on their shoulder. And with the sea of change that has taken place in Jacksonville, it is only right for the Jaguars to be ready to get one step closer to Week 1.

Once the pads come on, the Jaguars will be able to answer plenty of questions about their team. How the Jaguars stack up along the offense line is one of the biggest questions facing the team entering training camp, and padded practices will be the first time the Jaguars can finally see how the unit is meshing.

But for now, the Jaguars are going to keep chopping wood and looking forward to what the coming practices mean. After all, they know they are not much closer to real football.