Did Veteran Andrew Wingard Take Shots at the Jaguars' Coaching Staff?

Andrew Wingard does not seem happy with his role with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) is introduced before a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-7. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

When it comes to losing seasons, many long-time Jacksonville Jaguars veterans can sadly say they are used to it.

The 3-12 Jaguars are in the midst of their fifth losing season in seven years, and this one might be even worse than the others considering the expectations the Jaguars had entering the season. And few Jaguars veterans have been around for the losing as long as safety Andrew Wingard.

"I mean, I know for the guys that haven't been around, it's hard. I've been through this stuff many times, and you just got to go play ball and know that your tape is your resume, and everyone's watching the tape, and that's what you got to do, and it stinks," Wingard said on Sunday after the Jaguars' 19-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

"And I do everything in my power to scream at guys and cuss and say, let's effing go. But it is what it is."

For Wingard, this season has likely been even more frustrating than some of the past losing seasons he has been a part of. A knee injury in training camp sidelined Wingard for the first nine games of the season, but even his return in Week 10 didn't lead to more snaps on defense for the veteran defender.

Instead, Wingard has not played a defensive snap in three of the six games he has played in. In one game, he played four defensive snaps. In another, he played just one. And this was all despite the Jaguars safety unit of Andre Cisco, Antonio Johnson and Darnell Savage struggling throughout the 2024 season.

It wasn't until Sunday that Wingard finally saw extensive snaps on defense, and this wasn't because of the Jaguars looking to him as their best option. Instead, it was the result of an injury to Savage.

In his first game with extended snaps on defense, Wingard led the defense with three pass breakups. And in the post-game locker room, Wingard made his frustrations with his role clear.

"That's what I do. I go out and ball. That's what I do," Wingard said.

Wingard said he has not been limited by his knee injury. Instead, he simply has not seen the field as a result of the choices of the Jaguars' staff.

"Just haven't been playing? And you see what happens when I play, so," he said when asked if he has been on a pitch count.

"Hell yeah. Absolutely. I'm a starter in this league."

Wingard didn't call out the Jaguars' staff by name, but it was quite the contrast in attitude and deposition for a long-time locker room leader who two years ago said he would go into battle for Doug Pederson.

Instead, Wingard now seems as beaten down by the Jaguars' season, his role, and the team's non-stop self inflicted mistakes as anyone else.

"I mean, I've seen that all year," Wingard said when asked about the Jaguars' penalty and focus issues.

"I don't know if it's lack of discipline or what, but I've seen a lot of that throughout the year, so I don't think the record has anything to do with that."

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