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Michael DiRocco
A number of Authors
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive finish Travon Walker immediately bought the message when head coach Liam Coen used an Aaron Donald comparability throughout their end-of-season assembly.
Coen wasn’t evaluating Walker to Donald, one of many biggest defensive linemen in NFL historical past, as a participant, however to emulate the way in which Donald ready, practiced and performed. He needs to see the identical issues from Walker.
That is what Walker, who signed his four-year, $110 million contract extension on Saturday, needs, too.
“It is similar to taking my sport to a different stage,” Walker mentioned. “Clearly, he is seen Aaron Donald. He was on the crew with Aaron Donald. So it simply sort of helped put issues in perspective for me to have the ability to simply click on it to a special kind of mindset from how I used to be going all year long.
“And I really feel prefer it actually clicked [and] dawned on me that it is simply time to ramp issues up, take it to the subsequent stage.”
Walker has 27.5 sacks, 200 tackles, three pressured fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 57 quarterback hits in 60 profession video games because the Jaguars drafted him first total in 2022. Although he had numerous success whereas enjoying inside at Georgia, he has performed primarily on the sting with the Jaguars and was coming into his personal as a cross rusher with 10 sacks in 2023 and 10.5 in 2024. Nevertheless, wrist and knee accidents restricted him to three.5 sacks in 2025.
He is usually a dominant participant, Coen instructed him, however for that to occur throughout video games it has to occur in observe, which is why he introduced up Donald, an eight-time All-Professional, three-time Defensive Participant of the Yr and 10-time Professional Bowler as a defensive deal with with the Los Angeles Rams.
“We actually needed to take [Donald] off form to ensure that us to realize yards on offense,” mentioned Coen, who was a Rams offensive assistant for 4 years, together with the offensive coordinator in 2022. “And so if you wish to get the place you need to go and the place we wish you to go and the place you possibly can go, I should be taking you off form in order that we will function on offense. I need that sort of destruction and mindset and mentality.
“Habits. Not expertise. It is simply habits. Elite habits, elite observe, preparation, sport preparation, these habits and the way in which that you simply observe on a day-to-day foundation.”
Walker described the way in which he should function going ahead this manner: “Pure dominance.”
He can try this now with out questioning about his monetary future. His extension contains $77 million assured and $50 million totally assured at signing.
“It is simply time to go play ball now,” he mentioned. “I haven’t got to consider none of that.”
