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The Jacksonville Jaguars have extended several players in the offseason, but they still haven't struck a deal with wide receiver Parker Washington, who's coming off a banner season. With training camp inching closer, the Jags may want to speed up negotiations, as the last thing they want is for the issue to become a potential distraction.
Based on head coach Liam Coen's latest remarks, though, it's probably only a matter of time before Jacksonville gets it done.
The Jaguars have a dynamic playmaker in Parker Washington
Liam Coen had an exchange with Peter Schrager of ESPN. He stated that Jakobi unlocked the offense after he landed in Jacksonville via trade at the midpoint of 2025, noting that his arrival allowed several players to flourish. Parker Washington, in particular, went on to finish the year strong.
"And Parker is one that really, at the end of the day, when Sauce Gardner and those guys are on BT, Parker ends up having multiple double-digit catch games towards the end of the season that really allowed us to get into the playoffs with some of the confidence that we did in the pass game," Coen told Schrager (29:47 mark). "So he's tough, he's compact, he's a really good punt returner, and he just he's almost built like a running back in his lower half."
Coen continued, "His run after catch is something we really appreciate as coaches, and we can't teach that, really, right? Like we can't coach them always to be special when the ball's in their hands, and that's something Parker has. Jim and Trevor have continued to just build a connection, a relationship on and off the field."
Later in the conversation, Coen praised Washington's work ethic, adding that the fourth-year receiver goes to great lengths to take care of himself.
"I mean, Parker Washington's the first guy in our building. 5:00 a.m., he is in the weight room, working on himself, on his body, on his mind. He trains both mentally and physically, gets it. He pours into himself, into his body, and knows how to try to take care of himself as a pro. Sixth-round pick, man. That he's continued to ascend ever since we got here," Coen said.
Just recently, the news surfaced that Washington had hired a personal trainer full-time to ensure he has the stamina to endure the whole season.
The Jaguars cannot afford to lose Parker Washington
If you have any doubts that the Jaguars wanted Parker Washington to stay in Duval in 2026, Liam Coen just shut them down. After all, that's not the way you speak of a player if you want to move on from him. If anything, the second-year head coach just proved how valuable the former Penn State Nittany Lion is.
And that's the thing, not only is Washington going to run more vertical routes next season, but there's also a strong chance he'll keep returning punts. On top of that, Jacksonville could use him as a running back more often next year. That's not the kind of player you just let leave because of a contract dispute.
The truth is that the Jaguars may need to fork out more money than they expected if they want to keep Parker Washington from leaving. But based on Liam Coen's comments, it will be worth it.
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This article was originally published on blackandteal.com as Liam Coen may have just sealed Parker Washington's future with the Jaguars.
