The Jacksonville Jaguars have released return specialist Jamal Agnew as a free agent. Although he made waves early in his time in Duval, injuries robbed him of his ability to make big plays in 2023. To fill the void left by his departure, the front office signed Devin Duvernay on the open market. The 2021 All-Pro nominee gives the Jags plenty of bang for their buck, scoring a pike touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason.

Duvernay was brought in for his impact on special teams. In fact, he was twice selected to the Pro Bowl as a returner, but during his four years with the Ravens he was a fairly low-profile, solid pass catcher. From 2021 to 2022, he caught 70 passes for 679 yards and scored five touchdowns. Although he only caught four passes last season, he showed against the Chiefs that he can also function as a receiver when needed.

With 33 seconds left in the first half of the season opener, quarterback CJ Beathard threw a 35-yard touchdown to Duvernay to give the Jags a 16-10 lead. Kicker Cam Little then sank the extra point attempt to make it 17-10. Aside from giving Jacksonville six points on the pass, it stood out because the former Texas Longhorn dove into the ball to secure it. Here’s the play if you haven’t seen it yet.

Duvernay, a third-round pick of the Ravens in 2020, regularly turned heads for his big plays on kickoffs and punt returns. When he became a free agent, the Jags made him a priority signing, giving him a two-year contract worth $8.5 million.

Devin Duvernay is far from the only Jaguar who played in the season opener against the Chiefs. Parker Washington had a 73-yard return early in the first half, and sophomore running back Tank Bigsby managed another long run later in the second quarter.

On offense, Brian Thomas Jr. caught a 41-yard pass and Trevor Lawrence completed 3 of 4 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in limited time. In addition, the defense held the Chiefs offense to just 10 points in the first half.

At halftime, head coach Doug Pederson said he was pleased with the team’s pace and aggressiveness. It’s hard to disagree with him, not just because of the score, but because of the number of big plays the Jaguars have made so far. Still, they need to keep pushing. Even if they lose to the Chiefs, players, especially those looking to secure a spot on the roster or climb the rankings, need to perform.

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