The Jacksonville Jaguars announced last week that they will once again be wearing teal jerseys at TIAA Bank Field during the 2021 season.
Hoping for Success With Jaguars Jersey Switch
Throughout the years, teal has been a big part of the Jaguars’ history and success. They wore teal for the first time in 1995 against the Green Bay Packers and continued to wear teal through the 2012 season. They had a lot of success early on wearing teal, reaching the playoffs in four of their first five seasons, and clinching a spot in the AFC Championship Game twice.
John Oehser, senior writer for the Jaguars, broke down some of the Jaguars’ top games and moments in the history of the organization in which they were wearing the color teal.
December 1996
The Jaguars clinched their first playoff appearance, with a 19-17 victory over the Falcons when Falcons kicker Morten Anderson missed a 30-yard field goal attempted with seconds remaining in the game.
September 1997
The Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-21, in the first Monday Night Football game hosted in Jacksonville in exciting fashion. With 4:14 remaining in the fourth, Hollis kicked a 27-yard field goal to give the Jaguars a 23-21 lead over the Steelers, who drove, but were forced to kick a field goal. Kicker Norm Johnson attempted a 40-yard field goal on the last play of the game, but that kick was blocked by Jaguars’ safety Chris Hudson and returned for a 58-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars a 30-21 victory.
January 1999
The Jaguars won their first playoff game at home, defeating the Patriots, 25-10.
January 2000
The Jaguars defeated the Miami Dolphins in one of the biggest postseason defeats in NFL history. They defeated the Dolphins, 62-7, to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
September 2006
The Jaguars’ defeated the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, 9-0, on Monday Night Football. They forced two turnovers, including one after the two-minute warning to secure the Jaguars win.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced in 2013 that the Jaguars would switch to black jerseys as their primary color. Teal, however, would remain in the Jaguars sequence and would continue to be a “lucky” color for the team. It remained a “special occasion” jersey for the Jaguars.
December of 2017
The Jaguars defeated the Seahawks, 30-24, to move into first place in the AFC South for the first time since 2010. They would go on to win the AFC South that season. They also missed Super Bowl by just four points in 24-20 loss to the New England Patriots.
Jaguars Look to Start Fresh
The Jaguars have come up short of the playoffs the past three seasons. They look to start fresh in 2021, with a new head coach, new coaching staff and the return of teal as their primary jersey color. The Jaguars have worn teal jerseys 114 times since the start of the organization in 1993. According to ESPN.com, the Jaguars have a 64-50 record (60-42 in home games) wearing the color teal.
Jaguars’ head coach Urban Meyer said in his introductory press conference that he wants to instill pride in the Jaguars organization and franchise once again.
“When they see that Jaguar emblem, I want there to be a sense of pride,” stated Meyer. “These fans, especially our loyal season ticket holders, deserve a winner. And I can speak on behalf of myself, my staff and eventually our team, they will get our very best.”
Jaguars head equipment manager echoed Meyer’s statement when the Jaguars released their jersey change last week.
“We’ve heard the fans loud and clear,” stated Luck in a press conference last week when the jersey change was announced. “As the only team in the NFL that wears teal, we know what the color means to our organization, the 904 and our entire fanbase. Teal inspires great memories of some our franchise’s greatest moments. Making the switch to teal as our primary uniform color allows us to celebrate that history while kicking off a new era of Jaguars football.”
The Jaguars will look to have success in 2021, with the hiring of former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer and a new coaching staff. They are expected to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in April.
For the fans and city of Jacksonville, this is an exciting time to be a Jacksonville Jaguar. Teal is here. Teal with it!
