Jaguars Made Offer To LB Devin Lloyd

The Jaguars declined linebacker Devin Lloyd‘s fifth-year option last spring, setting him up for a trip to the open market this offseason. While Lloyd entered the process hoping to re-sign with the Jaguars, the former first-round pick left Duval County for the Panthers’ three-year, $42MM proposal. The Jaguars at least had interest in retaining Lloyd, he confirmed (via David Newton of ESPN).

“It was offered,” said Lloyd, though he did not detail how close the Jaguars came to keeping him.

It’s worth pointing out that exercising Lloyd’s fifth-year option would have cost Jacksonville $14.75MM – a bit north of his current $14MM average annual value. The Jaguars deemed that too rich, though it was not a surprise they turned it down. A team has not picked up an off-ball linebacker’s fifth-year option since the Buccaneers did so for Devin White in 2022. Nevertheless, the NFL continues to group inside and outside linebackers together for valuation purposes.

The Jaguars stumbled to a 4-13 record in 2024, but they surprisingly orchestrated a major turnaround in the first year of the general manager James Gladstone-head coach Liam Coen reign last season. Thanks in part to a terrific season from Lloyd, the Jaguars reeled off 13 wins and took home an AFC South title. Lloyd made his first Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors after totaling 81 tackles, 25 pressures and a career-high five interceptions over 15 games. Pro Football Focus gave Lloyd an elite ranking (third) among 88 off-ball linebackers.

During his four-year run in Jacksonville, Lloyd averaged approximately 16 games, 109 tackles, seven passes defensed and two interceptions per season. That will not be easy production to replace, but Gladstone has pointed to the relatively inexperienced Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs as potential in-house successors (via Mia O’Brien of ESPN Radio). Miller, a 2023 third-rounder, missed his rookie year with a torn Achilles and then started 11 of 32 games over the past two seasons. Combs was a 2025 undrafted free agent who came off the bench in all 10 appearances last year. The vast majority of his snaps (177 of 205) came on special teams.

While Lloyd walked out the door, the Jaguars were able to retain outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck on a new contract. Details were not immediately available, but it is a two-year, $6.5MM pact with $3.15MM in guarantees and three void years, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.