Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles will get to catch up with one of his former teams this summer.
Bowles said at a Tuesday press conference that the Bucs have set up a pair of joint practices with the Jets before the two teams play in the first week of the preseason. Bowles was the head coach of the Jets from 2015-2018.
There will likely be workouts with the Jaguars before the final game of the preseason as well.
“We lined it up with the Jets and we’re in the process of trying to line it up with the Jaguars, as well,” Bowles said, via the team’s website. “We’ll probably just play Kansas City.”
The Bucs practiced with both of the AFC teams ahead of the 2023 season as well.
Nate Boerkircher was the first player the Jaguars drafted in April and he became the last member of the draft class to sign with the team on Wednesday.
The Jaguars announced that Boerkircher has agreed to his four-year rookie deal. The tight end was the first of 10 selections for Jacksonville in this year’s draft.
Boerkircher played 39 games at Nebraska before moving to Texas A&M for his final college season. He had 19 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games for the Aggies.
The Jaguars drafted another tight end in the fifth round when they selected Tanner Koziol. Brenton Strange, Hunter Long, and Quintin Morris are the top returning tight ends for the Jags.
The NFL’s current political issues include an effort by Florida attorney general James Uthmeier to challenge the league’s diversity initiatives. Most recently, Uthmeier issued an investigative subpoena to the NFL, along with a letter suggesting that the league’s response to his initial communication may have violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by revising “many references” on its public website to its allegedly “unlawful ‘inclusive hiring’ policies.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell was in Florida on Tuesday, for the most recent ownership meeting. During a press conference conducted at the conclusion of the sessions, Goodell was asked about Uthmeier’s ongoing assault on the league.
“I think we have been very clear about our programs, and we obviously evaluate them all the time, not just for how they get better, but also to make sure that they’re consistent with the law,” Goodell said, via the Associated Press. “We’re engaging with the Florida attorney general and will continue to. We’ll share everything we’re doing with them. We think it’s certainly within the law, but also something very positive.”
The best evidence, frankly, would be to point to the teams’ hiring practices regarding coaches and General Managers. Despite efforts to expand the interview pool to include diverse candidates, the ultimate decisions — made exclusively by the teams and not the league — do not represent the demographics of the player population.
Uthmeier, who is running for election in 2026 to the job for which he received a gubernatorial appointment, may be engaging in performative antics. Time will tell whether his letter-writing campaign and request for information becomes something more than that.
The Jaguars opened up a spot on their 90-man roster on Monday.
They announced that they have placed wide receiver Alex Bullock on the reserve/retired list. The team will retain Bullock’s rights, but will be able to sign another player to their offseason roster in the wake of the move.
Bullock signed with the Jags after going undrafted last month. He played at Nebraska for three seasons before transferring to South Dakota State last year. He had 71 catches for 936 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.
Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas, Travis Hunter, Parker Washington, Tim Jones, and Austin Trammell are back at receiver for Jacksonville. They also drafted CJ Williams and Josh Cameron in the sixth round this year.
The Panthers will get a chance to work against a couple of other teams coming off of playoff appearances during training camp this summer.
Head coach Dave Canales said at a Monday press conference that the team is going to hold joint practices with the Jaguars and Texans. The team will play at Jacksonville in the second week of the preseason and they’ll be at home against Houston for their final preseason game in August.
Carolina played the Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2025 season and lost 26-10.
The Panthers will be playing four preseason games this year as they are scheduled to face the Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game along with a game in Buffalo before the two matchups with the AFC South teams.
