Jamal Agnew ready for advanced role in Jaguars offense, return to form as elite specialist
Jacksonville Jaguars special teams coordinator Heath Farwell didn’t need to see Jamal Agnew get any game reps during the preseason.
He wasn’t worried about the All-Pro returner coming off a Week 11 season-ending hip injury. He knew through conversations and observing him throughout training camp, he had his guy.
Agnew is a large part of why Farwell took the job in Jacksonville, after all.
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“He is a guy that I have watched for several years. I have tried to get him on all the teams I have been on,” Farwell said. “He is a super talented guy. I am excited to have him. He is another reason why I am here. You have a returner like that, that is that talented and that good — we are excited to have him out there for sure.”
The sixth year pro suffered a season-ending injury against San Francisco on Nov. 21, 2021, that sidelined him for a portion of the offseason. He announced during OTA’s that he planned to be back at full speed by training camp and continued to progress throughout the preseason and camp.
That’s why Farwell wasn’t worried that Agnew didn’t take any live special teams reps during the preseason.
“They kept saying, ‘Do you need to see anything?’ I’ve seen plenty. I’m happy where he’s at,” Farwell said Wednesday. “He is confident where he is at physically, mentally, coming off the injury, so we’re excited to have him. He’s an elite returner, there’s no doubt in my mind. We’re very fortunate to have him back there.”
Agnew will likely have a larger role in the Jaguars offense as a receiver this season, though head coach Doug Pederson declined to reveal just how much of a role he’ll have during a meeting with local media Tuesday.
But throughout training camp Agnew proved to be an elusive receiver and dynamic player, just as he was last season when he scored four touchdowns in four different ways for Jacksonville.
During OTA’s, Agnew said he felt like he was stronger than he’s ever been. He echoed those sentiments after practice Wednesday.
“You know, I'm still getting stronger. I'm still building, lifting in the weight room, working on routes,” he said. “I got my, my heart, my mind in the playbook and everything. I feel like in the league, you got to, you got to stay on the incline, and you can't ride the roller coaster of emotions.
“We used to say that a lot back in the day. But you got to find something to get better every day. Whether that's in the weight room, whether that’s in the playbook on the field technique. You got to get better.”
Agnew scored on two returns in 2021, a kickoff and a 109-yard missed field goal returned for a touchdown, a league-record.
During training camp, he described himself as a playmaker and relishes any opportunity to get onto the field and help the Jaguars. Farwell said he was excited for the possibility of him getting extra reps with the offense.
“To be kind of cautious, I’m not going to divulge a lot of play time with these guys because we do have a meaningful game coming up, but he’s going to be a big part of what we do and obviously the special teams factor, he’ll get his touches there,” Pederson said.
“He is coming off of a significant injury, and he’s worked himself back to playing shape and playing time. We purposely kept him out of special teams scenarios in training camp and these games and gave him a couple offensive reps, but excited where he is, he feels really good, and looking forward to working with him.”
Toward the tail end of training camp, Agnew started to see an increase in his offensive reps. He was a tough guard for any defensive player tasked with marking him through team play and an even tougher cover for Jacksonville’s secondary during one-on-one drills.
His speed off the line of scrimmage and ability to make plays with the ball in his hand will be needed for the Jaguars in a revamped offense.
“I mean, just whatever role I'm in, I'm going to go out there and do what I do,” Agnew said. “They know what I do best. They know. I mean, they obviously have, you know, great schemes … We’ve got a great system where guys can be in different spots and make plays all over the field. It's just like, we're going to be moving everybody around. I'm just excited for whatever role I have this year. I'm giving it everything I got.”
Development of the Jaguars roster linked to special teams
On Wednesday, Riley Patterson became the latest kicker brought in to try to fill the starting role. According to head coach Doug Pederson, the kicking competition is something that could spill into next week, but Patterson was a player the team has watched closely for a long time.
“It’s an ongoing battle. That is an important position to us and we want to get that right,” he said during a media availability with Trent Baalke on Tuesday. “There is going to be some competition there and we still have a little bit of time before we play a meaningful game. We understand it’s important and we are going to make that decision smartly.”
A lot of the players that made the back end of the roster will have a role in special teams. As the brass trimmed the roster, certain players were waived due to their lack of ability on special teams while others were kept for their strength and willingness in the phase.
A large majority of players, including starters, will have a hand in the special teams play and it’ll be a chance for some players to excel at it.
“It plays a huge role,” Baalke said on Tuesday when asked about special teams. “I think Coach [Pederson] and I have expressed that through the whole process – whether that is free agency or the draft. The backup players on this football team and in this organization have to excel on special teams. It is going to be a prerequisite as we move forward in every decision that we make.”
About Jamal Agnew
Position: Wide receiver
NFL season: Sixth
Drafted: Fifth round, 165th overall pick, 2017.
College: San Diego.
Key stats: Scored four touchdowns in four different ways in 2021. Once on a reception, once on a 66-yard run, once on a kickoff return and once on a 109-yard missed field goal returned for a touchdown.
What they’re saying: “Yes, he is our returner. He’s an elite returner, one of the best in the NFL." — Jacksonville Jaguars special teams coordinator Heath Farwell
Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @JustonLewis_.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars 2022 special teams preview: Jamal Agnew is ready to lead unit
