The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be in a strange position next season; one that they are not accustomed to. After how well they played in 2017, they are going to be among the favorites to win the AFC in 2018. But Calais Campbell thinks the team needs to approach the season like any other.
He thinks they need to act like it’s another year with little to nothing expected of them.
“You start back at zero, so everybody’s equal,” Campbell said in a phone interview, via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “You have to earn the right to have the opportunity to make it to the playoffs. When people start picking you as the favorite and [predicting] what you should do, it’s kind of poison. You’re kind of relaxing and start believing you’re better than you are.”
Campbell went on to talk about how it happened back when he was with the Arizona Cardinals. They had a couple of excellent years including making it to the AFC Championship game in 2015.
But injuries and a less-focused approach led to the team going 7-8-1 in 2016.
He said he plans on doing what he can to make sure no one tries to rest on their laurels. His goal is to get them to approach 2018 as a new season and a chance to prove themselves all over again.
“You can’t really even think about [the success of the previous season]. At the end of the day, that’s over and done with. I’ve got to go out there and prove myself each and every game. That’s the nature of the business: What have you done for me lately.”
Wise words, but will his teammates listen? Fans can only hope so.
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