Why Brenton Strange, Jaguars offense can take another step in 2026

Tight end Brenton Strange plays a key role in making this Jacksonville Jaguars' offense go. However, as impactful as he was last season, there could be more out there for him in Year 2 under Liam Coen.

>Not only for Strange, but the rest of the Jaguars offense, no longer is this unit learning a new system, which was the case last offseason. Rather, they can now build upon the strong foundation that's been established.

>"I'm a lot more comfortable, man," Strange said while appearing on Sirius XM NFL radio. "It's good to go into a building and know what to expect. Know how coach wants to run practice. And obviously having the experience of being in the system. So it's been good. I'm excited. I'm excited to continue growing within his system and anything they ask me to do, I'm excited to go out there and put my best foot forward and make plays for the city and the team."

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.@Jaguars TE @BrentonStrange discussed his contract extension in Jacksonville and the connection he has with QB Trevor Lawrence.

📻 https://t.co/v3G0iz5IH6#Jaguars | #DUUUVALpic.twitter.com/LbBwXzYHOS

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) June 29, 2026Strange's presence brings stability to the Jaguars' passing game. He's an extremely reliable target, hauling in 77% of his 60 targets last season.

>And despite playing in only 12 games, he totaled 540 receiving yards. Had Strange played a full season, he would have been on pace to be one of the more productive tight ends in the NFL.

>An important element behind Strange's pass-catching production is the rapport he's built with Trevor Lawrence over the years.

>"It takes a lot of trust," Strange said. "Being a young player coming into the league, things just have to happen over time and a lot of stuff goes into that. Sitting in the film room with him after practice, 'What did you see on this? How do you think that I could run this better? What's your timing on this?' So a lot of stuff goes into that and you want your quarterback to trust you and I feel like we gained that over the season. He always does a great job of helping me whenever I have questions or whenever I go into the building and I might be unsure on a route and I always love picking his brain because he's such a smart football player and he knows exactly what he wants to do every time he steps out on the field."

>Beyond Strange's passing game production, his versatility and willingness as a blocker allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways. This further opens up the playbook with Coen and brings a level of unpredictability to the Jaguars' offense with Strange able to wear so many hats.

>The Jaguars signed him to a three-year extension worth $36 million. There is the possibility for Strange to earn up to an additional $12 million in incentives. In total, he received $25 million in guaranteed money.

>"It means everything," Strange said of the extension. "Jacksonville is exactly where I wanted to be. I'm excited about the program that we're building there and the steps that we're going to take going forward. It's good to be back with the guys. We already have the chemistry rolling and just want to continue to build on that. So that's just what I'm super excited for -- just the next steps."

>This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Why Brenton Strange, Jaguars offense can take another step in 2026