JACKSONVILLE – The work continues, as does the uncertainty.
That's Heath Farwell's world as Jaguars 2024 Training Camp continues, with special teams – and specifically the NFL's new kickoff rules – among the league's top preseason storylines.
It's a storyline of unknowns – and, as Farwell sees it, of possibility.
"Every single day is different," he said.
Farwell, in his third season as the Jaguars' special teams coordinator, spoke to the media Saturday morning before a two-hour Day 4 practice in temperatures in the mid-80s at the Miller Electric Center. The practice featured helmets and shells, with the first practice in pads scheduled for Tuesday.
Farwell's first media availability of '24 camp held particular interest because of new NFL rules designed to revamp the kickoff return – a play that had been deemphasized in recent seasons because of safety concerns.
"We're going to learn every single day," Farwell said.
The NFL kickoff rule for 2024, similar but not identical to one used in recent seasons by the XFL, essentially is as follows:
Kicks now will be from the kicking team's 35-yard-line, with the 10 players other than the kicker on the kicking team lining up on the receiving team's 40-yard line. Nine players from the receiving team must line up in a "set up area" between the receiving team's 35- and 30-yard lines.
Those are some highlights from the rule, the spirit of which is to reduce high-speed – and therefore dangerous – contact. That the rule represents a major departure means significant mystery entering the season about how teams will approach the play.
"It's football, and any time you get an advantage, you're going to do it," Farwell said. "There are going to be opportunities. As we learn more, what type of coverage we're going to see, we'll have some wrinkles. There's a lot of unknown. How are teams going to cover it? Are other coaches seeing it the same way?
"We think we have a good idea what we can anticipate, but that's not exact. There are going to be some fantastic coaches that have been doing this a long time that are going to come up with some great schemes and some great ideas. Hopefully, we come up with some of those great ideas as well."
The Jaguars worked extensively on the play in the middle of practice Saturday, before which Farwell joked that team probably wouldn't show many details or options during practices attended by media.
"We're going to have some wrinkles," he said. "If we can gain some advantage and gain some field position by doing something a little uncharacteristic, we're going to do it. This is a new play. There are going to be some different wrinkles.
"We're always trying to anticipate what we're going to see and prepare our guys and try to stay ahead of it. This is a little bit different because there's no history to it."
![Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9), long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) and kicker Cam Little (39) during training camp at the Miller Electric Center on July 27, 2024.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/t_editorial_landscape_mobile/t_lazy/f_auto/jaguars/fe3bdxdtwwr14xkh7bxs.jpg)
Here's a look at Saturday's Practice:
PLAY OF THE DAY
On a difficult day for the Jaguars' first-team offense, the unit turned in one of the biggest plays of the day. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, after struggling in an early full-field 11-on-11 drill, completed a long pass deep down the right sideline to free-agent wide receiver Devin Duvernay. Duvernay caught the pass in the end zone just before stepping out of bounds for a 40-yard touchdown.
STANDING OUT
- Rookie kicker Cam Little converted field goals of 57 and 47 yards, missing from about 45 yards off the upright late in practice. Veteran kicker Riley Patterson missed from 57 yards. …
- Backup quarterback Mac Jones completed a deep pass in the corner of the end zone to rookie wide receiver Joshua Cephus for a touchdown. …
- Tight end Evan Engram caught two intermediate passes from Lawrence for first-down gains – one early in practice, one later in practice. Engram also caught a 20-yard pass from Lawrence late in practice. …
- Second-year tight end Elijah Cooks had a nice reaction reception on a short, deflected pass from Lawrence. …
- Defensive end Travon Walker intercepted a tipped pass by Lawrence. …
- Safety Andre Cisco intercepted an overthrown pass over the middle from Lawrence. …
INJURY WATCH
- Rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones (ankle) and veteran cornerback Tyson Campbell (ankle) remained limited, with safeties Andrew Wingard and Josh Proctor missing because of illness.
- Rookie free-agent offensive lineman Steven Jones (calf) remained out.
- Defensive lineman Arik Armstead (knee) remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start camp.