Parker Washington has never advanced his football career without having standout training camps.
From middle school to the NFL, the preseason is where he’s earned his playing time. He’s not the biggest. He’s not the fastest (but fast enough).
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But no one will outwork the 2023 sixth-round draft pick from Penn State.
In the past, the goal was playing time. Now that he’s firmly established in the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver rotation and as the lead punt returner following his breakout 2025 season, Washington has another reward to chase for being among the hardest-working players on the team: a new contract.
“It’s time … this is when you find out who’s real and who’s gonna make plays,” he said on July 29 after the Jaguars‘ first practice in training camp at the Miller Electric Center. “This is when you come to showcase it. So I’m excited as always. Let’s go.”
Actually, he used another word to Jaguars coach Liam Coen. Earlier this week, Coen said during an interview on Action Sports that Parker texted him, “I’m ready to kill.”
Washington seemed almost embarrassed by his coach’s revelation.
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“I’m not really the talking type,” he said. “He [Coen] texted me and I’m, ‘shoot, I’m ready to go kill it.’ I’m ready to go out here and take those next steps and show what I can do. And I’m just going to take it one rep at a time. Bad rep, good rep. Just gonna come back the next play and just go at it again.”
Coen can’t wait to see what Washington will bring to his offense in year two.
“He knows his strengths and weaknesses and is really intentional about trying to work on those things,” Coen said. “The guy spends a lot of time on his body. I mean, he really puts a lot of time into it. I think he’s ready to take another step in his progression of his career … really confident in him and really excited to see what he can do for us.”
By most informal accounts, Washington was the Jaguars camp MVP last year, then started getting more reps on offense as the season wore on. When Travis Hunter had a season-ending knee injury with nine games to go, a combination of Washington catching fire and the acquisition of Jakobi Meyers ignited the Jags’ offense on their way to an eight-game winning streak to close the regular season.
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After a one-game stint on the inactive list in the first Colts game, Washington caught 22 passes for 400 yards in the last four games of the season, then caught seven passes for 107 yards in the playoff loss to Buffalo. Counting the playoff, Washington had three 100-yard games, after turning in only one in his first two seasons.
His punt return scores against San Francisco and Houston gave him three for his career.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said the second half of the 2025 season was an example of what he and Washington can do together.
“Every year it’s gotten better and better, but especially after last season with all the reps that we accumulated over the last nine, 10 games,” Lawrence said. “And just the way the guy works. I mean, he’s always down to get extra reps after practice. He wants to talk after every rep that isn’t right on the field. He’s just a professional, so I think it was only a matter of time before that started to show, that chemistry and the way we work together started to pay off. So just proud of that guy and love working with him.”
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Washington is now in a contract season, and with Jaguars and Penn State teammate Brenton Strange getting his deal, speculation has naturally centered on whether it’s Washington’s turn.
If not, one wonders what kind of season an even more motivated Washington can turn in.
“I feel like, for me, it’s just staying focused,” he said. “Let my agent and everybody in the front office talk about it. I just want to come out here and be a professional and keep being me. I just want to continue to be a great leader in the receiving room, take those next steps and be a great example to the guys.”
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And that starts with another blue-collar camp for Washington, who said it’s been his pattern since he started playing football and his main goal was to make his parents happy.
“It clicked back in middle school,” he said. “I just wanted to make my parents proud, and that started it. From there, it just grew … no matter what, I don’t care how much pain it comes with the workout. I just want to be strictly in there to work, strictly just be a better me. And I feel like that’s carried on through my process. I’m used to being an underdog, used to being a guy that has to work for it. And I’m willing to do that.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Wide receiver Parker Washington is the Jaguars’ blue-collar man
