Two-time Super Bowl champion putting his money on the Jaguars
It's hard to look back at the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars' season and consider it anything except an unbridled success. From #1 overall pick to division champions and a playoff win in just two years. That's progress ahead of the curve. But how long will it take for the team to take the next step and […]
It's hard to look back at the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars' season and consider it anything except an unbridled success. From #1 overall pick to division champions and a playoff win in just two years. That's progress ahead of the curve.
But how long will it take for the team to take the next step and become a true Super Bowl contender, especially in a conference with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow?
One former player thinks it's worth putting your money down this fall to find out.
Bryant McFadden won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers while also playing in a third, so he knows close up what a championship-caliber team looks like. He says that, as far as a team to put your money on for the 2023 season, he thinks the Jaguars are smart money.
McFadden specifically points to their path to the playoffs, specifically the weak AFC South. He notes that their path to a division title is easier than anyone in the NFL.
And he's not wrong. The NFC South might rival the AFC South for football's weakest division, but there's no clear-cut best team there. The Jaguars appear to have the best roster and QB in a division where Houston and Indianapolis will be starting rookie quarterbacks for new head coaches. While anything can happen in the NFL, if the Jaguars don't sweep those teams, then it would be a disappointment.
McFadden also noted the Jags gained a lot of valuable experience last year playing the Kansas City Chiefs. And there's no doubt that those games mattered. The Jags got to see what level the best football team in the league was at. And they gave them two competitive contests, both in Arrowhead Stadium. So the Jags now know where they must get to if they want to win the AFC and reach the Super Bowl.
If you're enticed to get down on the Jags with your hard-earned money, what would you be getting back at this point? According to BetMGM's online odds, the Jags are a +2800 bet, or 28 to 1. So, for a $100 bet, you'd win $2,800. Those odds are the 10th-highest in the league with the site, between Detroit and LA Chargers/Miami.
All of those teams have serious contenders in their division not just for the division crown, but also their conferences. Jacksonville? Not so much. Tennessee will almost certainly be their primary division obstacle, but it's hard to see Tennessee taking a step forward and being a true conference contender even if they found a way to eke out the AFC South crown.
So McFadden's words are actually pretty fair. Question is, will Jaguar fans put their money where his mouth is?
