The Jaguars will be down their slot cornerback for at least three weeks. They placed D.J. Hayden on IR Wednesday, further thinning out the team’s new-look secondary.
Hayden left the Jags’ Week 4 game with a hamstring injury. The third-year Jaguar represents the team’s most experienced corner, having been a regular since coming into the league as a 2013 first-round pick.
Jacksonville signed Hayden in 2018 and, for the most part, has seen the former Raiders bust rejuvenate himself. Hayden graded as a top-25 corner in 2018 and ’19, per Pro Football Focus, which is less bullish on his early-2020 returns.
Hayden teamed with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye in 2018 and to start last season. Both have since been traded, leaving the veteran with younger defenders. The Jags will be forced to use their less seasoned talents exclusively against the Texans in Week 5.