The Jacksonville Jaguars just wrapped their first home preseason game, and man, it was a rough one. They took a 34-17 beatdown from the Carolina Panthers, with the Panthers controlling pretty much the whole game. But even in a tough loss like that, a few guys still found a way to absolutely ball out and make some noise. You love to see it when players step up.
The Undrafted Rookies Who Refuse to Quit
First up, let’s talk about the undrafted rookies who are straight up making a statement. Wide receiver Trebor Pena, out of Penn State, led the Jaguars in both receptions and receiving yards for the *second* preseason game in a row. Not only that, he hauled in Jacksonville’s only touchdown of the night, a sweet 29-yard score. The Jags have a ridiculously stacked receiver room with guys like Brian Thomas Jr, Travis Hunter, Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Josh Cameron, and CJ Williams, so Pena might not crack the final roster, but you can bet he’s locked in for a practice squad spot at minimum.
Then there’s Michael Wortham, another undrafted wideout who totally made an impact. He caught all three of his targets for 41 yards. Just like Pena, Wortham is fighting tooth and nail to impress any team he can, and with that receiver depth, it’ll be a tough road to the 53-man roster. But his performance against Carolina and throughout camp makes a strong case for the practice squad. These guys are playing like their careers depend on it, because they do!
Vets Stepping Up and the Leg That Delivers
It wasn’t just the rookies, though. Defensive back Jabbar Muhammad put in another solid shift for the second straight week, racking up six total tackles. With the cornerback depth Jacksonville has, Muhammad’s consistency gives him a real shot at making the roster, especially since he’s already listed as a second-string player on their recent depth chart. Keep performing like that, and he’s in.
Veteran running back Ameer Abdullah, now in his twelfth NFL season, is literally fighting just to make *any* roster. His outing against Carolina should absolutely grab the attention of teams across the league. He led the Jags in rushing with 45 yards and a whopping 7.5 yards per attempt. Plus, he was involved in the passing game with 37 receiving yards. Yeah, he dropped a touchdown catch that a guy with his experience probably should’ve had, but overall, he had a good day and showed he’s still got gas in the tank.
And finally, let’s hear it for the foot! Kicker Cam Little put his monstrous leg talent on display. He nailed all three of his field goal attempts, with the longest coming from 43 yards. His points were the only points on the board for the Jaguars until a late touchdown. While we know Little can boot it much further than 43 yards, making every single attempt consistently in a game like this absolutely deserves a shout-out.
Look, it was a preseason loss, no doubt. But for these individual players, every single snap is an audition. The fight for those coveted 53-man roster spots is heating up, and performances like these definitely turn heads. You gotta love the grind.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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