The press conference following the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 27–24 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, sparked a viral moment between first-year head coach Liam Coen and a veteran journalist.
As Coen stood before reporters to discuss the defeat that ended a 13–4 season, he was met with unexpected commentary from longtime Jacksonville-based journalist Lynn Jones.
Jones, who serves as the associate editor of Jacksonville’s longest-running Black publication, The Jacksonville Free Press, strayed from traditional postgame questioning to offer words of encouragement to the coach.
“How y’all doing today? Lynn Jones, Jacksonville Free Press. I just want to tell you, ‘Congratulations on your success, young man. You hold your head up, alright,” she said with sincerity.
Jones continued. “You guys have had the most magnificent season. You did a great job out there today, so you just hold your head up, okay? Ladies and gentlemen, Duval, you’re the one. Keep it going, we’ve got another season. Take care and much continued success to you and your entire team.”
Coen responded with a brief nod and said, “I appreciate it. Thank you, ma’am.”
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/2j94VSA965
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 11, 2026
While some viewed the exchange as a refreshing display of humanity, others criticized the moment, arguing that a postgame press conference was not the appropriate forum for such sentiments.
ESPN Senior NFL Insider <a href="http://<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DUUUVAL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DUUUVAL</a> <a href="https://t.co/2j94VSA965">pic.twitter.com/2j94VSA965</a></p>— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jaguars/status/2010470801342922766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">Adam Schefter called the exchange “awesome,” prompting a sharp rebuttal from Associated Press journalist Mark Long, who wrote, “Nothing ‘awesome’ about fans/fake media doing stuff like that. It should be embarrassing for the people who credentialed her and her organization, and it’s a waste of time for those of us actually working.”
ESPN NFL reporter Brooke Pryor also weighed in, stating, “look, it’s a kind sentiment, but it’s not the job of a reporter to console a coach in a postgame press conference. Pressers are to ask questions to gain a better understanding of what happened or figure out what’s next — and do it in a limited amount of time.”
A follower pushed back, responding, “Hard disagree. This wasn’t some dude from Cincinnati who works for NBC Sports. Saying this was just ‘consoling’ is reductive to the dynamic between local reporters and the coaches/teams they cover. Those who cover sports locally are not just covering X’s and O’s. They’re covering community and a shared kinship in a city. And I’m sure she was speaking for that community when expressing this sentiment. I do not believe that reporters solely need to just ask questions. Sometimes they need to be the mouthpiece for the fandom they cover as well.”
Social commentator and journalist Jemele Hill also offered her perspective. “Ehhhhh …. i hear you, but I’m going to push back. You can echo the fan without coming off like this coach’s Auntie. I get it. The media is never going to win these battles because people see the media as self-absorbed, but also realize this is a working press room and a lot of other reporters there are on deadline and need to ask a question. So I imagine a couple of them were like … aight now Auntie.”
The discourse continued online, with reactions ranging from harsh criticism of Jones’ remarks as overly emotional and unprofessional, to others questioning the value of any press conference statement that did not include a question.
Jones later appeared on local Jacksonville news, where she addressed the criticism surrounding her press conference remarks.
“I said what I wanted, and I have no qualms about it,” she said when asked how the negative commentary made her feel.
Elsewhere in the interview, she continued. “I’ve been in this business for more than 25 years. I’ve interviewed people from Barack Obama to Terry Bradshaw to Tiger Woods. So, he can say whatever he wants to say about fake news.”
Jones went on to list her credentials. “I am a member of the Black Press and NNPA, National Newspaper Association, that’s been around more than 100 years. I am the associate editor of the Jacksonville Free Press….”
She proudly rattled off several other historic Black publications, including the Florida Star, Philadelphia Tribune, and the Michigan Star, before stating, “Support the Black Press.”
“He can call me fake all he wants,” she said unapologetically. “I’ve been doing this a long time. People know me.”
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