Each year, the Monday Night Football games are limited to the marquee franchises like the Packers, Cowboys, 49ers, Bears Steelers, Patriots, etc., the two New York City teams because of their market size and those clubs projected to be good in a given year. The Jacksonville Jaguars are definitely not a marquee team and are rarely good. Thus, they have the longest drought of appearing on MNF of any franchise. With the 2021 NFL schedule out Wednesday, SportsLine offers odds on if the Jaguars get one of those games this year.
Under the new CBA, Monday Night late-season games (starting Week 12) will be able to be flexed like Sunday night games. There also will be three Monday night doubleheaders with games on ESPN, followed by a game on ABC. One reported change is that there will no longer be a Week 1 MNF doubleheader. Instead, ESPN would have a Saturday doubleheader in Week 18 – remember, there are 17 games now.
The Jaguars have just one winning season since 2008: When they won the AFC South in 2017 at 10-6 and reached the AFC title game, nearly upsetting Tom Brady and the Patriots. The franchise was last on MNF on Dec. 5, 2011, when it beat the visiting San Diego Chargers 38-14.
Last season, Jacksonville upset the visiting Colts in the season opener and then lost a franchise-record 15 straight games. Obviously, under usual circumstances the Jags would not be remotely considered for MNF. However, now the team has two hugely magnetic personalities in quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, and three-time national championship coach Urban Meyer. Most football fans already know both well from their collegiate days.
The team also is signing an even more popular personality, Tim Tebow, to potentially play tight end. Tebow of course starred at quarterback for Meyer at Florida but hasn't played an NFL game since 2012. We say potentially because it's far from a lock Tebow makes the team but if so it will be at tight end.
It's obviously hard to speculate which game the Jags could play on MNF if so, but Lawrence against the Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa would certainly have appeal – the obvious downside being both teams are in the state of Florida so it perhaps wouldn't do that well TV ratings wise.
How about Lawrence against the Bengals and 2020 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow (game would be in Cincinnati)? Lawrence's Clemson Tigers lost to Burrow's LSU Tigers in the national championship game following the 2019 college football season.
The Jets likely will stink this season but they will be on MNF simply because of their market. Lawrence against No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson would be must-see TV, though (game would be in New Jersey).
Our leader in the clubhouse if the Jags get an MNF game is Lawrence against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers (game would be in L.A.). Herbert was the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Lawrence is the +270 favorite at William Hill Sportsbook for this season.
Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Will the Jaguars appear on Monday Night Football in 2021?
Where does every player appear in our 2021 Fantasy football rankings? And which rookie quarterback will provide shocking value? Join SportsLine right now to get 2021 Fantasy football rankings, all from the model that simulated the entire season 10,000 times.
