New Jaguars WR Jakobi Meyers reunites with defenders days after trash-talking them

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jakobi Meyers spent three hours talking trash to Jacksonville defenders last Sunday.

He probably would have held his tongue had he known he was going to see them face-to-face three days later.

The Jaguars traded two late-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft to Las Vegas on Tuesday to acquire Meyers, a sure-handed receiver who should help alleviate the team’s season-long problem of drops.

“I was just talking crazy to some people and have to come in here and see them,” Meyers said Wednesday. “’What you mean when you said that?’ But it’s cool. It’s a great experience.”

Meyers arrived in Jacksonville late Tuesday, passed his physical Wednesday and was on the field for practice a few hours later.

General manager James Gladstone said Meyers will play Sunday when the Jaguars (5-3) travel to AFC South rival Houston (3-5). And Jacksonville expects the veteran to be a reliable option for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has been plagued by dropped passes all season. Brian Thomas Jr. leads the league with nine, according to Pro Football Reference.

Meyers, meanwhile, has one drop over 49 targets this season.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how his skill set fits within the system,” Gladstone said. “Just from afar, it does. You think about where we’re at in terms of volume of drops. What’s his superpower? It’s not dropping the football.”

Jacksonville dealt a fourth-round pick and a sixth-rounder to the Raiders to get Meyers, who is in the final year of his contract and requested a trade in August. The Raiders originally asked for a third-rounder in return but settled for a pair of Day 3 selections.

“I haven’t even had a chance to take it all in yet,” Meyers said. “It’s been moving quick, but I’m honestly happy. I’m happy to be here, help the guys out and do whatever I can to make the team better and go win some games.”

Meyers will wear No. 3 with the Jags. It’s the first time in seven NFL seasons that he’s donned anything other than No. 16 — a number that belongs to Lawrence in Jacksonville.

“I just understood the price tag that would have come with it,” Meyers joked. “I wasn’t trying to take out a second mortgage.”

Meyers has 33 catches for 352 yards in seven games this season. He has 426 receptions for 4,944 yards and 20 touchdowns in seven seasons with New England (2019-22) and Vegas (2023-25).

He will be counted on to fill a much-needed void at the position in Jacksonville. Two-way rookie Travis Hunter (knee) in on injured reserve, Thomas (ankle) missed practice Wednesday, Dyami Brown (concussion) wore a non-contract jersey in practice and Tim Patrick (groin) missed last week’s game at the Raiders.

“The exact challenge is the balance of how much he can handle, how quickly can he get some of the formations down, the timing obviously,” coach Liam Coen said. “It’ll really come down to just what are the things specific that we want to get him in the flow of the game.

“You want to get him opportunities, but also just to go play as a Jaguar.”

Giving up two draft picks to get Meyers makes re-signing him more likely than letting him walk in free agency. Brown is scheduled to be a free agent in 2026, so Meyers could be a long-term option in the franchise’s decades-long search for a No. 1 receiver.

The Jags thought it would be Thomas after he caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl. But Thomas has been one of the biggest disappointments this season, and his regression — he also seems hesitant to make contested catches over the middle — surely played a role in Jacksonville’s decision to get help.

The sides first started talking early last week and reconvened after the game — and after Meyers got into it with his future teammates.

“Some things were said to me. I said some things, too,” Meyers said. “It was kind of bad.”

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