The Jacksonville Jaguars are about to embark on an October like no other, spending the entire month without playing a single game at home. Yeah, you read that right. Zero games in Jacksonville for all of October, with half of that time spent completely out of the country. This isn’t just a road trip, it’s a marathon that could totally make or break their 2026 season.
London Calling (Twice!) For A Historic Road Stretch
This epic journey kicks off with a Week 4 game against Cincinnati on October 4th. But that’s just the start. After that, they are packing their bags and heading across the pond for two straight weeks! They’ve got the Eagles in London on October 11th, and then they’ll stick around to face the Texans in London on October 18th. What’s absolutely wild about those two London games is that the Jaguars are designated as the HOME team for BOTH of them. This is a first in league history, folks: a team being the home squad for back-to-back international matchups. After all that, they finally get a bye week on October 25th, but guess what? Still no home game. They won’t see their own stadium again until November.
A Requested Nightmare With A Scary Past
Now, you might be thinking, “Who in their right mind would sign up for this?” Well, the Jaguars actually *requested* this month-long absence. Their $1.4 billion stadium renovation is in full swing, and the team wanted to give construction crews a solid month to get work done without an NFL game messing up their schedule. It sounds logical on paper, but history isn’t exactly on their side. Seven years ago, both the Jags and the Cardinals faced a similar November situation. The Cardinals played three road games, lost all three, and went from 3-5-1 to 3-8-1, effectively ending their season. The 2019 Jaguars also went 0-3 during their November away from home, playing one in London and two on the road, plummeting from 4-4 to 4-7. Their season was basically toast after that. The 2026 Jaguars are definitely hoping they can dodge that bullet.
The final phase of this massive stadium reno is set for 2027, and it’s even crazier: the Jags will be out of town for the *entire* season next year, playing their home games in Orlando. Plus, they’ve got a deal to play up to three games in London in 2027, so this year’s road trip might just be a preview of a truly insane future. This current 35-day stretch without a home game is a huge test. Coming out of this brutal October schedule with their season hopes intact will be a massive challenge, and their fate hangs squarely in the balance. When they finally do get back to Jacksonville, it’ll be November 1st, and they’ll be welcoming the Colts.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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