Sports

Parker Washington has earned this important Jaguars distinction

Jacksonville Jaguars On SI · Jul 22, 2026 18:00 · 3 min read

Parker Washington Has Earned This Important Jaguars Distinction — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington has established himself in a key way inside the Jaguars' building.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Parker Washington wears a lot of hats for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Offensive weapon, special teams dynamo, team energizer bunny, you name it. But there is also another important distinction he owns: being the first player in the Miller Electric Center each day.

Speaking on 'The Schrager Hour' podcast, Coen explained the detail that Washington puts into his preparation and how much that effort is truly appreciated.

"I mean, Parker Washington's the first guy in our building," Coen said.

"5:30 a.m., 5:30 a.m., He is in the weight room, working on himself, on his body, on his mind, he trains both you know mentally and physically. Like he really 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 just, he's continued to ascend ever since we got here."

Why This Matters

Washington is widely expected to be one of the next names on the Jaguars' list of extension candidates. Jacksonville has extended several players before their rookie deals have expired since the new regime has taken over, including Travon Walker and Brenton Strange in the last several months.

The fact that Washington has put himself into that conversation after being selected on late Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft speaks volumes to the effort he has put into his game during that time. He flashed early in his career as Christian Kirk's backup, but it was what he did during the Jaguars' 9-1 post-bye stretch last season that has him set on his current path.

parker washington jaguars — Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) tries to tackle Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) during the third quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Parker is one that really at the end of the year, man. Like when Sauce Gardner and you know those guys are on [Brian Thomas], you know 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 said.

"So he's tough. He's compact. He's a really good punt returner, and he's almost built like a running back in his lower half. His run after catch is something that 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 so that's something Parker has. And him and Trevor have continued to just build a connection, a relationship on and off the field."

In short, Coen and the Jaguars are all-in on Washington as an impact player in 2026. Washington did not really get playing time last year until the Jaguars started dealing with injuries at the wide receiver position around the bye week. This time around, Washington is entering training camp as one of the most important pieces of the offense.

What Washington can do with a full workload over the course of an entire season remains to be seen. He produced big numbers last year despite spending half of the season as a backup, eventually leading the team in receiving and proving to be one of their most important and consistent weapons.

When it comes to offering big-money contracts, the Jaguars' new regime has focused on paying players with a very specific attitude and mindset. Strange plays the game as intensely as anyone on the roster, Walker played through multiple injuries last year, and so on and so forth. The Jaguars want to know that they are not just paying the player, but also rewarding the person. And Washington checks each of those boxes.

Simply put, nothing Coen said about Washington suggests anything over than the fact the Jaguars are firmly behind the idea of Washington helping to lead the passing game. Even in a crowded receiver room, his numbers should be expected to go up in a big way.