Jacksonville Jaguars to introduce drone defense at stadium — CNBC

The National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars will deploy a counter-drone system during games at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. Sentrycs, owned by Ondas, will operate at and around the stadium on game days. As CNBC Top News reports, the system is expected to be activated for the first time ahead of Sunday's Jaguars game against the New England Patriots.

The Jacksonville Jaguars became the first NFL club to publicly announce an agreement with a company specializing in drone defense. In August, Bobby Lyle, the club's director of event and facility security, said that due to the growing availability of drones, the organization decided to supplement drone detection with capabilities to neutralize threats.

Violations near NFL arenas

The NFL recorded 10,852 drone-related violations near league stadiums in 2021–2025. Only a few such incidents caused games to be halted. In particular, in 2025, a playoff game in Baltimore between the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers was suspended because of a drone over the stadium. A similar incident at the same arena also occurred in 2023.

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Previously, the NFL could detect and track drones near 30 stadiums. Modern technologies make it possible to intercept the communication channel between an operator and a drone, take control of the aircraft, and land it. Sentrycs also said it had reached agreements with two more NFL clubs, but CNBC was unable to confirm which franchises they were.

How counter-drone systems work

Counter-drone systems use hardware and software, while operators receive certification under a federal program. Drones can be detected using radar, thermal imaging and optical tools, as well as radio signals. According to Sentrycs, the technology can determine a drone operator's location through radio frequencies and provide police with their precise coordinates.

Earlier this month, the NFL and Major League Baseball appealed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, saying additional resources were needed to protect spectators and athletes from drones during competitions. Sentrycs was also among the companies involved in drone defense during the football World Cup, where the FBI reported about 700 cases of drone interception during the four-week tournament.