7 former Jaguars set to play in Super Bowl LVIII
The Jacksonville Jaguars are still one of 12 teams that have never won a Super Bowl and one of four that have never reached the big game.
On Sunday, the Detroit Lions spoiled their chance to scratch themselves from at least one of those lists when they blew a 24-7 halftime lead against the San Francisco 49ers. Instead, it’ll be the five-time champion 49ers meeting the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas in two weeks.
While the Jaguars will hope for better results in the future, a handful of former members of the team are set to compete for a chance at a Super Bowl ring.
Here are seven former members of the Jaguars who are set to play in Super Bowl LVIII (plus another two on the Chiefs’ practice squad):
49ers QB Brandon Allen
Allen was picked by the Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft, but spent only his rookie season with the team before getting cut in 2017. After stints on three other rosters, Allen signed with the 49ers in 2023 and is third on the depth chart behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold.
49ers OL Ben Bartch
Bartch was a fourth-round pick in 2020 for the Jaguars and eventually became a starter for the team. But a knee injury early in the 2022 season cost him his spot and Bartch struggled in his return in 2023. When the Jaguars moved him down to the practice squad in November, the 49ers signed him to their active roster.
Chiefs TE Blake Bell
The veteran tight end has played for five different teams in his nine-year career, including two stints with the Chiefs and one with the Jaguars. In 2018, he appeared in 10 games for Jacksonville and caught eight passes for 67 yards.
49ers WR Chris Conley
Conley began his career with the Chiefs and was scooped up as a free agent by the Jaguars during the 2019 offseason. In two seasons with Jacksonville, Conley caught 87 passes for 1,246 yards and seven touchdowns. He made a couple other stops before joining the 49ers this year.
Chiefs QB Blaine Gabbert
One of the worst draft picks in Jaguars history is inexplicably on the cusp of winning a second Super Bowl ring. Jacksonville’s first-round pick in 2011 played three seasons with the team before he was traded to the 49ers. He eventually earned his first ring with the Buccaneers as Tom Brady’s backup and now he’s on the verge of doing it again behind Patrick Mahomes.
49ers S Tashaun Gipson Sr.
After starting his career with the Browns, the Jaguars acquired Gipson as part of a free agent spending spree that also brought Malik Jackson to Jacksonville. Gipson spent three seasons in a Jaguars secondary that became arguably the best in the league, but he was released in 2019 to clear cap space. He’s now in his second season with the 49ers.
Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor
The Jaguars’ second-round pick in 2019 steadily developed into a reliable right tackle and was one of the top free agents to hit the market last year. The four-year, $80 million deal he received from the Chiefs in 2023 is expected to land the Jaguars a third-round compensatory draft pick this spring.
*Chiefs S Tyree Gillespie
Gillespie, who is currently on the Chiefs’ practice squad, is in his third NFL season and playing for his fifth team. He spent the 2022 season with the Jaguars and appeared in three games, but only played on special teams.
*Chiefs TE Gerrit Prince
Prince signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2022, but never earned a spot on the active roster despite some impressive moments in training camp and preseason. When he didn’t make the roster in 2023, Prince chose a spot on the Chiefs’ practice squad instead.
