JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — New Jaguars coach Liam Coen tried to stay out of the limelight in the postgame locker room. Team owner Shad Khan wouldn't let him.
Khan presented Coen with a game ball following his first win as an NFL head coach.
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs with the ball against Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dawuane Smoot, left, sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, front left, looks on during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) tackles Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass, Travis Etienne ran for 143 yards and Jacksonville beat the Carolina Panthers 26-10 to deliver the franchise's new regime an emphatic debut victory Sunday.
“My boss gave it to me, so I had to accept,” Coen said. “It's a cool moment for me personally and all that, but really it's about those guys. These guys played their tails off.”
Brian Thomas Jr. also ran for a score for Jacksonville, which controlled both lines of scrimmage and kept Lawrence upright all afternoon.
The game was delayed 1 hour, 16 minutes because of nearby lightning strikes. The Jags led 10-3 when players and coaches headed to locker rooms and did much of the scoring after it resumed.
Jacksonville’s revamped defense contributed as much as Lawrence and the offense. Newcomers Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray made several big plays, with Lewis’ pass breakup leading to a first-half interception for Foye Oluokun.
The complementary play generated rave reviews for Coen, first-time general manager James Gladstone and first-time executive vice president Tony Boselli. Throw in first-time offensive and defensive coordinators, and there was no telling how the Jaguars would handle their season opener.
“It feels great the direction we're heading,” Lawrence said. "You got to take for what it is. We won in Week 1. We're 1-0 to start the season, and we're all pumped about that. ... No one takes it for granted how hard it is to win in this league, so we're all really proud of that.
“But it's one game. We got to keep doing it. Consistency is what will be the difference.”
The Jags were much better than the Panthers, who turned the ball over twice in the first half and turned it over on downs twice in the second.
Bryce Young turned in another season-opening stinker. He completed 18 of 35 passes for 154 yards, with a TD pass to Chuba Hubbard, two interceptions and a fumble. He also made a head-scratching throw out of the back of the end zone on a fourth-and-1 play from the 5-yard line and slammed his helmet to the ground afterward.
It was the third time in as many years that Young struggled in an opener. He had a combined four interceptions in blowout losses the past two seasons.
“Obviously no one likes to lose, but it’s Week 1,” Young said. “We’re going to watch it (Monday). We’re going to wear it. We’re going to see where we can grow, and after that, we’re going to flush it.”
Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the second overall pick in the NFL draft, was more active on offense while playing both sides of the ball in the season opener. Hunter played 39 offensive snaps and caught six passes for 33 yards. He played just six snaps on defense, where he worked as an outside cornerback in passing situations.
He looked like he might have a touchdown catch late in the second half, but Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn made a leaping, one-handed snag for an interception.
Travis Etienne has family bragging rights for at least a year. He got a win in his first meaningful game against his younger brother, Trevor. They exchanged jerseys on the field after the game.
Travis Etienne ran 16 times and topped the century mark for just the second time in his last 28 games. Both came against the Panthers. His 71-yard scamper in the second quarter set up a touchdown.
Trevor Etienne served as Carolina’s backup running back and primary punt and kickoff returner. He totaled 47 all-purpose yards.
Panthers: Defensive end Turk Wharton, who left Kansas City to sign a three-year contract worth $45 million in free agency, was ruled out in the second quarter with a knee injury. Wharton was previously evaluated for a concussion but ultimately cleared to return. Carolina linebacker Pat Jones left with an ankle injury. The Panthers also played without starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who is recovering from an appendectomy.
Jaguars: Right tackle Anton Harrison left the game late with a back injury.
The Panthers play at Arizona next Sunday.
The Jaguars play at Cincinnati the same day.
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs with the ball against Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dawuane Smoot, left, sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, front left, looks on during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) tackles Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number of forces pulled out of Europe.
The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump's initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America's commitment to Europe's security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO's eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer rotating into Poland from Germany. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.
But in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would now send "an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” citing his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.
“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump’s latest move, as was Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who said allies knew the U.S. troop “posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now.”
U.S. defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
But Rubio said Washington’s allies understand that changes in the U.S. troop presence in Europe will come as the Trump administration reevaluates its force needs. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than there has historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.
The latest surprise came despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments, including one from NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, on Wednesday.
Trump's initial announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.
Trump told reporters that the U.S. would be cutting even more than 5,000 and also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.
Rubio insisted that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just something that’s ongoing.”
About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.
The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.
But Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe would not change. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to send more forces to his country, saying it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, meanwhile, U.S. officials briefed the allies on the Pentagon's aims for its commitments to the NATO Force Model, which involves contingency planning for Europe’s defense in the event of serious security concerns. It was widely expected that a further reduction of U.S. forces would be coming.
Asked whether any cuts were announced, Rutte said: “I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that.” He said the procedure “is highly classified” and declined to give details.
Rubio played down concerns about a shift in U.S. force levels in Europe, saying: "Every country has to constantly reevaluate what their needs are, what their commitments are around the world, and how to properly structure that.”
Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front second left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, front left, speak with each other during a group photo at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte look at each other as they deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže speaks at the doorstep of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting at Sea U in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with his wife Jeanette at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden, ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, second from left, shakes hands with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, as he is greeted by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard, right, before a dinner at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg, Sweden, Thursday May 21 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
