Jacksonville Jaguars History by the Numbers: 10 Milestones, From 1995 to a 13-Win Season

Jacksonville, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have recorded a franchise-best 14-2 regular season, reached three AFC Championship Games and completed one of the biggest playoff comebacks in NFL history since joining the league in 1995. Their history also includes a 1-15 season, ownership changes and a 13-4 record in 2025 under first-year head coach Liam Coen.

The Jaguars were among the NFL's most successful expansion franchises during their first five seasons, making four consecutive playoff appearances from 1996 through 1999.

Today, the team competes in the AFC South, plays its home games at EverBank Stadium and remains one of four NFL franchises that have never reached a Super Bowl.

Here are 10 milestones that tell the story of Jacksonville's NFL franchise.

The Jaguars' history at a glance

1. A 26-2 vote brought the NFL to Jacksonville

Jacksonville's pursuit of an NFL franchise began before the Jaguars played their first game.

The Touchdown Jacksonville! ownership group formed in 1989, seeking to bring professional football to the city.

Jacksonville competed against Charlotte, St. Louis, Baltimore and Memphis for an expansion franchise.

St. Louis was considered a favorite, but NFL owners voted 26-2 to award Jacksonville the league's 30th franchise.

Wayne Weaver became the team's original majority owner, while Tom Coughlin was hired as its first head coach on Feb. 21, 1994.

2. The inaugural season ended 4-12

The Jaguars played their first regular-season game Sept. 3, 1995, losing 10-3 to the Houston Oilers.

Their first touchdown came against Cincinnati when Randy Jordan caught a 71-yard pass from quarterback Steve Beuerlein.

Jacksonville lost its first four games before defeating Houston 17-16 for its first victory.

The Jaguars finished their inaugural season 4-12.

Their first draft selection was offensive tackle Tony Boselli, chosen second overall in 1995. Boselli later became a Hall of Fame player and one of the franchise's most recognized figures.

3. Jacksonville reached the AFC Championship in Year 2

Few expansion teams experienced success as quickly as Jacksonville.

In 1996, quarterback Mark Brunell helped the Jaguars recover from a 4-7 start with five consecutive victories.

The team finished 9-7 and qualified for its first postseason.

Jacksonville defeated Buffalo 30-27 before upsetting Denver by the same score.

The remarkable run ended with a 20-6 loss to New England in the AFC Championship Game.

Wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell each exceeded 1,000 receiving yards that season.

4. The 1999 Jaguars went 14-2

Jacksonville's 1999 regular season remains its most successful in franchise history.

Under Coughlin, the Jaguars won 14 games and lost only two, securing the AFC's top playoff seed.

The team delivered one of its most memorable victories by defeating Miami 62-7 in the divisional round.

That game marked quarterback Dan Marino's final NFL appearance.

Jacksonville's season ended with a 33-14 AFC Championship loss to Tennessee.

The Titans accounted for all three of Jacksonville's losses that season, including the postseason defeat.

The Jaguars had previously won their first division championship in 1998 with an 11-5 record.

5. Fred Taylor helped define the early years

Running back Fred Taylor became an important part of Jacksonville's early success.

In 1998, Taylor became the first Jaguars player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.

He exceeded 1,500 rushing yards during the 2003 season.

Jacksonville honored Taylor with induction into the Pride of the Jaguars on Sept. 30, 2012.

Other franchise figures receiving that recognition include Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith and Coughlin.

The organization also retired Boselli's No. 71 on Oct. 9, 2022, making it the first officially retired number in Jaguars history.

6. Jack Del Rio coached from 2003 through 2011

Jack Del Rio became Jacksonville's second head coach after Coughlin's departure following the 2002 season.

His tenure included playoff appearances in 2005 and 2007.

The 2005 Jaguars finished 12-4 but lost their opening playoff game to New England.

In 2007, Jacksonville went 11-5 and defeated Pittsburgh 31-29 in the wild-card round before losing to New England.

Del Rio remained Jacksonville's longest-tenured head coach, serving from 2003 through part of the 2011 season.

7. Shahid Khan purchased the Jaguars in 2012

The franchise experienced a significant ownership transition when Shahid Khan purchased the team from Wayne Weaver.

Khan became the Jaguars' second majority owner in 2012.

In 2013, he introduced a redesigned brand identity featuring a new jaguar head logo.

The franchise's familiar teal, black and gold colors remained central to its appearance.

The Jaguars also adopted a secondary shield-style logo honoring Jacksonville's military community.

The ownership change began another chapter in the team's development following its early years under Weaver.

8. The 2017 Jaguars nearly reached the Super Bowl

Under head coach Doug Marrone, Jacksonville returned to championship contention in 2017.

The Jaguars finished 10-6, winning their first division championship since 1999.

Jacksonville defeated Buffalo 10-3 in the wild-card round and Pittsburgh 45-42 in the divisional round.

The Jaguars then faced New England in the AFC Championship Game.

Jacksonville lost 24-20, narrowly missing its first Super Bowl appearance.

The game included a controversial play involving Myles Jack, who recovered a Patriots fumble but was stopped by an official's whistle before he could continue toward the end zone.

9. A 27-point deficit became a playoff victory

The Jaguars produced another memorable postseason moment during the 2022 season.

Under coach Doug Pederson, Jacksonville finished 9-8 and won the AFC South.

In the wild-card round, the Jaguars fell behind the Los Angeles Chargers 27-0.

Jacksonville recovered to win 31-30, completing the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history.

The run ended with a 27-20 divisional-round loss to Kansas City.

The victory over Los Angeles remains a significant example of the franchise overcoming a seemingly overwhelming postseason deficit.

10. Liam Coen delivered 13 wins in 2025

Jacksonville hired Liam Coen as head coach Jan. 24, 2025.

Following a 4-13 season, the Jaguars improved to 13-4 in Coen's first year.

The turnaround made Coen the first rookie NFL head coach to guide a team from 4-13 to 13-4.

Jacksonville won the AFC South and entered the playoffs as the conference's third seed.

The season ended with a 27-24 wild-card loss to Buffalo.

That 13-win season became another major achievement in a franchise history marked by dramatic improvements, postseason runs and difficult rebuilding periods.

How we did this

Jax Times compiled these milestones from the Wikipedia article "Jacksonville Jaguars," reviewed Oct. 23, 2026. The article uses the franchise's documented season records, playoff results, coaching history, ownership changes and player honors. It does not include results beyond those documented in the source.