Overview
- Jacksonville’s season ended with a 27-24 Wild Card loss to the Bills after a late Josh Allen touchdown and a final-minute interception by Trevor Lawrence.
- At the postgame presser, Jacksonville Free Press reporter Lynn Jones congratulated Liam Coen and urged him to hold his head up, drawing a grateful response as the clip drew millions of views on X.
- Reaction was sharply divided, with Adam Schefter and Scott Van Pelt praising the exchange while AP reporters Mark Long and John Wawrow and ESPN’s Brooke Pryor called it inappropriate for a press conference.
- Jemele Hill questioned the role before noting Jones works for a community paper, the Jaguars reposted the clip, and local journalist Will Brown defended Jones’s record and the Free Press’s service to Jacksonville’s Black community.
- Trevor Lawrence said Coen told players he was proud and found the year rewarding, and pass-rusher Josh Hines-Allen stressed pride in the 13-win turnaround as the team looks to build in the offseason.