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Jacksonville Jaguars' Travon Walker not thinking big pay day: 'I just want to play football'
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' Travon Walker not thinking big pay day: 'I just want to play football'
Travon Walker just wants to play football.
The former Jacksonville Jaguars first-overall pick completed his third season in the league with 10.5 sacks, tallying double-digit sacks in back-to-back seasons, becoming the first Jaguars player to accomplish that feat since Calais Campbell (2017-18).
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He was named Pro Football Focus' most improved player for the Jaguars with a glowing review for a portion of the excerpt.
"If his improvement across the board continues, Walker could be one of the best every-down edge defenders in the league," PFF's Thomas Valentine wrote .
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Walker is also eligible for a fifth-year option pickup and a contract extension. The former will essentially be a formality when it becomes official in the spring, but the latter may take a while.
For Walker, it doesn't matter to him and he isn't worried about inking a long-term deal today.
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"I'm with whatever when it comes to that. I just want to be known as one of them ones that goes out there and play the game the right way and everything else will take care of itself," Walker said in the locker room Monday after the team's last game of the season.
Travon Walker wants to play football, achieve consistency with Jaguars
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: Travon Walker #44 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)
Travon Walker has always been about ball.
He's not a player who thrives off of attention, nor is he one to gloat about his achievements. When asked about accolades, he is quick to dismiss the underlying subtext, resorting only to how he can improve to help the team win.
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Even after the team's final loss of the season against the Indianapolis Colts this year, Walker didn't take time to praise himself about finishing another year with 10 or more sacks. He was happy, but it didn't take long for him to reach back for a way to improve moving forward.
"I kind of started out hot, didn't finish as strong as I wanted to, but obviously registering over 10 sacks again, it really means a lot. I want to be that consistent player in the NFL, and it's just a sign of consistency. So we just want to continue to feed off of that," Walker said in the postgame locker room in Week 18.
Walker typically responds to questions about himself with "we" or "us" to demonstrate his ultimate goal as a team-first player. Winning games and playing good football are what matter to Walker and that stood out when he offered his perspective of why he felt the team never completely checked out down the stretch of the season.
"You have a lot of guys on this team that play the game of football for the right reasons, not just for the money, accolades. We don't really have any selfish individuals. Everybody come out here, they love the game of football and they playing for the brother next to them," Walker said in postgame.
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Those comments didn't stop the following Monday when Walker and the rest of his teammates cleaned out their lockers to end the year.
"Being consistent is my main thing and, if I can do that, I feel like I'll be around for a long time," Walker said, early musing about why the team fell apart the way it did after a playoff run and 8-3 start in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Walker's growth, he says, came from playing through double-teams and nudges throughout the year. Walker commanded more respect this year than in years previously and he feels like he gained ground on countering it.
"Coming into this year, I kind of knew how to do it a little but, it did give me a little trouble this year as well," a candid Walker said about handling double teams. "I feel like I can definitely improve on it, but I did see some growth there."
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Ultimately, Walker wants to see the team grow, and get back to winning ways in 2025.
"Me, personally? I feel like as far as players and things of that nature and we have some great coaches in place, too. So, I just feel like for us, it's just we have to learn how to win and learn how to take winning," Walker said, making reference to the team's 8-3 start in 2023 before a 1-5 collapse down the stretch to miss the playoffs.
"Obviously, we know how to win games, but when it comes to being consistent, with winning in the NFL, you have to bring it week-in and week-out, and sometimes it's just certain sacrifices that certain players or individuals have to make."
It can be simpler, too.
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"For me, I'm just one of those guys. I just want to go out there and play football, have fun and go forward, be able to play fast," he said.
What Travon Walker wants in Jaguars' next head coach
Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Travon Walker (44) jokes with defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell during warm up drills Wednesday morning. The Jacksonville Jaguars held their third day of training camp Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Knight Campus practice fields on Atlantic Blvd.
The next step of the offseason for Jacksonville will be to bring in the team's next coach. They've already made headway on interviews with just a couple remaining ahead of the Divisional Round of the playoffs this weekend.
But, what will be intriguing is the type of coach the team brings in. Will he be a leader with a plan to usher in a strong, sustainable and winning culture or will he be an Xs and Os genius that will get the most out of the team's quarterback, Trevor Lawrence ?
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Jacksonville doesn't necessarily have to decide between one or the other, but the team's players could have a preference and it starts with winning and establishing a buy-in, at least for Walker.
"Everybody has to buy in. From the National Championship team I was on, it was a championship team. Everybody was just all bought in and on the same level and that goes for players and coaches and the staff in the building itself," Walker said when asked what needs to change for Jacksonville moving forward.
Buying in is one part of the formula, but another aspect is what the coach can bring to the table.
"Just a coach to come in and obviously lead by example. Just a coach to come in and gives it his all, his main goal is to win the Super Bowl, and he wants to bring the best out of the players we have on this team," Walker said when asked what kind of leader he wants in the team's next coach.
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The team's next head coach will likely bring in his own defensive coordinator, making it a third coordinator in four years for Walker after Mike Caldwell was let go following the 2023 season. Ryan Nielsen is not expected back as the team's defensive coordinator in 2025.
He's played with his hand in the dirt and a two-point stance. He's opined on where he likes to play in years prior, but not anymore after he was asked what he'd prefer moving forward.
"I just want to play football," he said.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' Travon Walker: We need buy in with next coach
