Jaguars could be out on $39M starter after coach Liam Coen’s Freudian slip to reporters

Ryan OLeary

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Jaguars could be out on $39M starter after coach Liam Coen’s Freudian slip to reporters image

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen met with the media Tuesday to discuss the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, and he expressed excitement about his team’s talent at the skill positions despite the team's offseason decisions to cut ties with tight end Evan Engram and receiver Christian Kirk.

Coen actually revealed who the team’s top targets in the passing game will be after superstar wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. this season, but one glaring omission could actually speak volumes about one of former GM Trent Baalke’s top free agent signings from 2024.

Veteran wide receiver Gabe Davis, now entering his second season of a three-year, $39 million contract with Jacksonville, was noticeably not mentioned by Coen as he rattled off the top six options for quarterback Trevor Lawrence in his soon-to-be-installed offense:

Coen forgetting to mention a player who was deployed as a starter by former coach Doug Pederson and averaged 41 snaps per game last season is certainly not a good sign for the veteran receiver's future in Duval County. The team could be weighing its options for an exit plan, as paying Davis $13 million per year to be buried on the depth chart represents an untenable situation.

Davis had a brutal first season with the Jaguars in 2024. He was limited to 10 games due to injuries, but he managed a career-low 20 receptions for just 239 yards in those 10 games. Davis struggled with drops, managed just a pair of garbage-time touchdowns (both against the Chicago Bears in London), and his most memorable highlight was a sideline spat with Lawrence in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Jacksonville can get out of Davis’ contract in 2026 for a dead-cap charge of $14.6 million. In terms of a release, that’s probably the team’s best option. Cutting him in 2025 would more than double his cap hit to $13.8 million for this year and leave $20.3 million in dead money. 

If the Jaguars are ready to move on now, a trade is their best option, but it’s unlikely teams are beating Jacksonville’s door down to acquire Davis. While omitting Davis could have been an honest mistake, it was most likely a Freudian slip by Jacksonville’s new head coach and play-caller on offense.

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.