Jaguars Quiet Quitting Accusations—For Now

The Jacksonville Jaguars were accused of quitting by safety Andre Cisco following last week's loss to the Chicago Bears. A convincing win over the New England Patriots quieted that notion for another week.

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco (5) in the first half during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

After losing a lackluster game to the Chicago Bears last week, Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco publicly accused his teammates of quitting on the field.

This bold statement caught the attention of many around the National Football League. It is rare to hear a player make such an accusation about his teammates in the middle of the season.

"I just feel like it was; how should I say this? A lot of quit," Cisco said. “In a situation like that, you can feel when we're playing as one and when we're not, and it felt very early in the game, maybe out of halftime, that we weren't playing as one."

While Cisco’s comments were harsh, they also seemed to work, as the Jaguars played with much more effort against the New England Patriots. Against the Bears, the Jaguars looked like a team that did not care to play football that day. Against the Patriots, the Jaguars looked like a team tired of losing.

After a resounding win over the Patriots, Mike DiRocco of ESPN believes the Jaguars proved they have not given up on the season or Coach Doug Pederson. DiRocco points to the Jaguars’ comeback from a double-digit deficit against the Patriots as proof that the team is still invested. 

The Jaguars will have to continue playing with the effort they displayed against the Patriots, as they will be tested over the next few weeks.

“Safety Andre Cisco made waves last week after he said he saw players quit during the loss to the Bears,” DiRocco said. “That mentality didn't show up in the second quarter when they scored 22 unanswered points to erase a 10-0 deficit. Doug Pederson hasn't lost the locker room after starting 1-5, which is a good thing because the Jaguars have a tough stretch ahead: Green Bay, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, and Houston. At 2-5, the Jaguars still have slim playoff hopes, but there's no margin for error.”

The Jaguars entered the season with high hopes but have failed to live up to their expectations. They undoubtedly started the season with a difficult stretch of games and face another difficult stretch over the next few weeks. Jacksonville will have an uphill battle but should be competitive in every game, assuming they give maximum effort.

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