Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr (7) celebrate a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Will Jaguars Regret Letting Evan Engram Go?

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated May 6, 2025 10:00 AM ET

As a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars' cleaning house this past season, the franchise decided to release veteran tight end Evan Engram after spending three seasons in Duval. Engram saw his production increase in his first two seasons, but it plummeted one year ago.

Although he wasn't the same player he had been in his first two seasons with Jacksonville, the injury shortened season didn't help Engram's case in staying with the Jaguars After releasing him, the now former Jaguars tight end has found a new home with the Denver Broncos, making that his third franchise since debuting in the 2017 season.

While the move was a mixture of rebuilding the roster as well as saving money in cap space, Engram still provides a veteran presence in the locker room. Or in this case, used to. Now with Engram gone, the tight end role now gets passed down to Brenton Strange, as he looks to capitalize on it.

Strange had a strong season in Engram's absence for the franchise last year. In a full 17 games played, Strange totaled 40 receptions in 53 targets, which went for 411 receiving yards. He was also able to score two touchdowns and haul in a career high 21 first downs.

Strange has a ton of upside, and while he has learned from Engram in the past, this upcoming season could either make the Jaguars' release of Engram look very intelligent or fatal. In his collegiate seasons, Strange topped out at 362 receiving yards as his season high.

One thing that Strange does have on his side, though, compared to the now former Jaguars tight end, is age. But with youthfulness comes inexperience, which Engram possessed. So, the Jaguars franchise is in an interesting situation with the state of their tight end room.

The Jaguars might have let Engram go at the right time; however, in 2023, he set a career high in receiving yards with 963. Now that he is off to Denver, his skills will be tested. Under the franchise's new leadership, we all just have to wait and see which players stick and which players flop.