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Jaguars on the spot: Andrew Wingard has had to fight for his professional life every year
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- Jaguars on the spot: Andrew Wingard has had to fight for his professional life every year
First in a series about Jacksonville Jaguars veterans who will be battling for their starting job or in some cases a roster spot during the 2025 training camp.
Andrew Wingard , safety
Years with Jaguars :Seven.
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Career highlights:Prior to an early training camp injury last year that limited him to eight games, Wingard had played 78 of a possible 83 games for the Jaguars , with 24 starts on defense. He has five career interceptions, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, eight tackles for losses and two sacks. Wingard has been one of the team's most reliable and versatile special teams players, with 27 solo tackles and 14 assists on kickoffs and punts. His best game on defense was in 2023 at Pittsburgh , when he had five solo tackles, one interception and two passes defensed.
Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) stretches during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third mandatory minicamp Thursday June 12, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Camp scenario:Wingard has had to battle for his job every year since making the team in 2019 as an undrafted free agent from Wyoming. But he started a pattern that year of making himself invaluable on special teams and led the team in kicking game tackles with 11. He has played both free safety and strong safety, which adds to his versaility. But the Jaguars invested heavily in the defensive back position in free agency and the draft, signing veteran Eric Murray and drafting rookies Caleb Ransaw and Rayuan Lane III . Since Wingard has made the team, the Jaguars have drafted five safeties and signed five in free agency — but he's still here.
Andrew Wingard on fighting for his job every year
"I assume the NFL should always be that way. It should be that way for Patrick Mahomes . You're not guaranteed anything. It's the National Football League. You've got to play great."
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Andrew Wingard on the new defensive staff
"They are very smart NFL coaches. They know how to coach NFL football. This is an NFL defense: eyes on the quarterback, different coverages, mixing and matching, and doing complicated stuff. We didn't do anything complicated last year. This is the NFL, you're supposed to play. You're supposed to do things that are hard to coach because you've got NFL players that can execute it. That's going to make us play at another level."
Andrew Wingard on his health entering a seventh NFL season
"I almost feel like I'm a rookie again. I feel kind of reborn. I'm not even in my prime. I just need the opportunity."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars on the spot: Safety Andrew Wingard faces another camp battle
