3 Key Takeaways on Jaguars Drawing Eagles, Texans as London Opponents

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It is official.

The Jacksonville Jaguars landed their two London opponents for the 2026 season on Wednesday, with the NFL announcing the Jaguars would host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5 and the Houston Texans in Week 6.

So, what do we make of the Jaguars' London opponents and what it means moving forward? We break it down with three key takeaways below.

Jaguars Will Have to Earn AFC South Title

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen shakes hands with Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans mid-field after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This was always going to be the case, of course. Even if the Jaguars and Texans played onboard the Kissmet, the Jaguars would have to earn any right to be AFC South champions once again in 2026. With that said, it is not hyperbolic to say this was slated to be the Jaguars' most important home game of the season. It still is after the London news, of course, but now that game is going to be played at a neutral site instead of within the comfort of the Jaguars' home base.

The Jaguars are of course not going to make excuses. They are going to approach the game the same way they would in any other scenario, but it is fair to say the Texans are probably happy about this outcome since they were already going to have to travel for this game. The Jaguars do get the benefit of already being in London for the week beforehand, but this is still a tough draw for the Jaguars in terms of a true home game being lost.

That is not to say there are no reasons to understand why it was sent to London for off-field considerations. Texans fans have traditionally not traveled to Jacksonville well, and the Jaguars will have better crowds for likely both the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. With reduced capacity, there is also less of an argument for the sake of home-field advantage. But the Jaguars are still going to have to earn their AFC South title the hard way.

Eagles Game Always Made the Most Sense

hines-alle — Nov 3, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

When projecting what the Jaguars' schedule might look like this season, we predicted the Jaguars would land the Eagles as one of their two London teams. This made sense for a number of reasons, making their selection one of the least surprising London nods the Jaguars have been given in recent seasons.

For starters, the Eagles have played as few international games as any team in the NFL. With the Jaguars set as one of their road foes this season, it felt like the perfect chance for the NFL to bring them and their brand overseas for a game. The two sides have played before in London, too, so there is some precedent in terms of this being a popular and successful matchup.

Considering the Jaguars reportedly protected the Pittsburgh Steelers game, it made more sense for the Jaguars to draw an NFC foe than an AFC foe in London. The Jaguars' games against the Steelers, New England Patriots, and even Cleveland Browns will be more important at the end of the season than their game against an NFC opponent will be.

What This Means for Rest of Schedule

The order in which the London games fall on the Jaguars' schedule is going to have a domino effect on the rest of the schedule -- or at least it should. With the Jaguars undergoing extensive renovations at EverBank Stadium this year, the Jaguars would certainly benefit from an extended period away from the stadium in terms of their construction process. This means that a road game before the London trip and a bye week after were always going to be on the table, and we know now what that could look like.

This is not to say the Jaguars are assured to get their bye week right after London. Teams make their recommendations and the NFL then decides on them, but the Jaguars have seemingly gotten help more often than not when it comes to where their bye week falls in comparison to their London series. This means we can likely expect a road game in Week 4 and then a bye in Week 7.

If this is how the schedule falls, the Jaguars could face a number of teams ahead of their back-to-back London games. Perhaps the Jaguars take their relatively easy trip to the New York Giants then, but the Jaguars have a tough road slate that also contains the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and to a lesser extent, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Add us as a preferred source on Google