Jacksonville Jaguars Avoid Thursday Night Football for Second Straight Year

In the NFL, Thursday Night Football (TNF) is a double-edged sword—it offers national exposure and a chance to showcase a team to a prime-time audience, but it also comes with shorter rest periods and increased injury risk. For one AFC South franchise, the choice to step away from TNF has become a two-year trend: Jacksonville Jaguars Avoid Thursday Night Football for Second Straight Year. The NFL released its 2024 regular-season schedule earlier this month, and once again, the Jaguars were not included in any of the 17 TNF matchups (aired on Amazon Prime Video and NFL Network). This marks the second consecutive season the team has been absent from the Thursday night slate, a departure from their past participation—they played in at least one TNF game in three of the four seasons prior to 2023. For Jaguars fans, the news has sparked mixed reactions: some are disappointed by the lack of national exposure, while others welcome the extra rest for a young team still building toward championship contention. As the league’s schedule-making process remains a mix of ratings, competitive balance, and logistical considerations, all eyes are on why the Jaguars have been left off TNF—and whether this trend will continue in 2025.

Jacksonville Jaguars Avoid Thursday Night Football for Second Straight Year is a scheduling outcome shaped by multiple factors, starting with the NFL’s focus on ratings and viewership. TNF games are heavily promoted by the league and its broadcast partners, who prioritize matchups between high-profile teams, playoff contenders, or franchises with large national fan bases. While the Jaguars have shown improvement in recent years—making the playoffs in 2022 and finishing with a 9-8 record in 2023—they still lag behind teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, or San Francisco 49ers in terms of national appeal. The NFL also considers recent TNF performance: in the Jaguars’ last Thursday night game (2022 against the Tennessee Titans), the game drew lower-than-average viewership, in part due to a lopsided 36-22 loss. Another key factor is rest and competitive balance. The Jaguars have a relatively young roster, including star quarterback Trevor Lawrence (24) and running back Travis Etienne Jr. (25), and the team’s coaching staff has previously expressed concerns about the short week (just three days of rest between games) impacting player health and performance. In 2023, head coach Doug Pederson noted that avoiding TNF allowed the team to “prioritize practice time and recovery,” which likely played a role in the Jaguars’ strong finish to the season (they won four of their last six games). For the NFL, balancing a team’s competitive needs with broadcast interests is a delicate dance—and this year, the scales tilted toward keeping the Jaguars off Thursday nights.

The impact of the Jaguars’ TNF absence is visible in both the team’s preparation and fan engagement, though the effects are not uniformly positive. On the field, avoiding TNF means the Jaguars will have a full week of rest (six or seven days) between all 17 regular-season games in 2024—a luxury that only a handful of NFL teams get. This extra time will allow Pederson and his staff to craft more detailed game plans, especially against tough opponents like the Chiefs and Bills, and give players more time to recover from minor injuries. For Lawrence, who dealt with shoulder soreness late in the 2023 season, the extra rest could be crucial for maintaining consistency throughout the long NFL campaign. However, the lack of TNF exposure has downsides for fans. Thursday Night Football games are often a chance for casual NFL viewers to see the Jaguars play, which helps grow the team’s national fan base and boost merchandise sales. Local fans in Jacksonville have also expressed disappointment, as TNF games typically feature special in-stadium events and promotions that make game days more memorable. One Jaguars season-ticket holder, in a post on a local fan forum, wrote: “I was hoping for a Thursday night game this year—my kids love the prime-time atmosphere, and it’s a fun way to kick off the weekend. It’s a bummer we won’t have that.” For the Jaguars’ marketing team, the absence of TNF means finding other ways to generate buzz, such as hosting a “Fan Appreciation Day” during a Sunday afternoon game or partnering with local businesses for game-day promotions.

Jacksonville Jaguars Avoid Thursday Night Football for Second Straight Year also reflects the team’s current strategic priorities, as the Jacksonville Jaguars focus on long-term success over short-term exposure. The Jaguars are in a “build phase” under Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, with a core of young talent that they hope will compete for Super Bowls in the coming years. For this group, avoiding the physical and mental toll of short weeks is seen as an investment in future success. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ front office has been vocal about prioritizing player health in recent years, including investing in state-of-the-art recovery facilities at their training complex and hiring additional sports science staff. By avoiding TNF, the team is putting that philosophy into action—ensuring that Lawrence, Etienne, and other key players stay healthy and develop at a steady pace. The Jacksonville Jaguars also recognize that national exposure will come naturally as the team wins more games. If they can make a deep playoff run in 2024, they’ll likely be featured in more prime-time slots (including TNF) in 2025, as the NFL rewards successful teams with increased airtime. For now, the Jaguars are willing to sacrifice a few Thursday nights to build a foundation that will lead to sustained success.

Another key angle of Jacksonville Jaguars Avoid Thursday Night Football for Second Straight Year is the reaction from the NFL and broadcast partners, who have a vested interest in keeping TNF relevant. Amazon Prime Video, which holds the exclusive rights to TNF through 2033, has been pushing the league to feature more competitive matchups and star players to boost subscriptions. While the Jaguars’ exclusion may disappoint some fans, Amazon and the NFL likely believe that matchups between teams like the Chiefs and Ravens or the 49ers and Eagles will draw more viewers. However, the NFL also values parity, and if the Jaguars continue to improve, they may not be able to ignore the team for much longer. In a recent interview, NFL scheduling director Howard Katz hinted that the Jaguars could return to TNF in the near future, saying, “We look at every team’s situation each year. The Jaguars have a young, exciting team, and if they keep winning, they’ll absolutely be in the mix for Thursday nights down the line.” For the Jacksonville Jaguars, this is a subtle challenge—to prove that they’re worthy of prime-time slots by winning games and building a compelling product on the field. It’s a motivation that Pederson has already emphasized to his team, telling players that “winning takes care of everything—including getting more national games.”

Looking ahead, Jacksonville Jaguars Avoid Thursday Night Football for Second Straight Year could be a temporary blip rather than a long-term trend—especially if the Jaguars live up to their potential in 2024. If Lawrence takes another step forward as a quarterback, if the defense improves (they ranked 20th in points allowed in 2023), and if the team wins the AFC South, the NFL will have little choice but to feature them in prime time next season. For now, the Jaguars are embracing the extra rest and using it as a competitive advantage. During OTAs and training camp, Pederson has already adjusted the team’s practice schedule to take advantage of the full week of preparation, adding extra film study sessions and situational drills that they might not have had time for with short weeks. The players have also bought into the plan, with Etienne noting that “the extra rest helps us stay fresh late in the season, which is when games really matter.” For Jaguars fans, the absence of TNF may be a disappointment now, but it could pay off in January with a playoff berth—or even a trip to the Super Bowl. Jacksonville Jaguars Avoid Thursday Night Football for Second Straight Year isn’t just a scheduling quirk—it’s a strategic choice that reflects the team’s commitment to building a winner, one well-rested week at a time.