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Jacksonville Jaguars News & Rumors

Jaguars Place Trevor Lawrence On IR

December 4th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

10:00pm: While Lawrence technically could have returned in time for the Jaguars’ season finale, he’ll indeed be out for the rest of the season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says the quarterback will have surgery to repair the “significant” AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. By going under the knife now, Lawrence should be ready to go for the start of the 2025 campaign.

3:05pm: The Jaguars have placed Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve, per an official team announcement, likely ending the veteran quarterback’s season after he suffered a concussion against the Texans in Week 13.

Lawrence was carted off the field after being hit while sliding by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who was suspended for three games for the play. Lawrence will be sidelined until at least Week 18, but with an existing shoulder injury and virtually no shot at the playoffs, Jacksonville may instead choose to shut down its franchise quarterback for the year.

Lawrence has been considering surgery for an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder, though he opted to return to the field in Week 13 after taking the Jaguars’ Week 12 bye to heal up. Now that he’s already on injured reserve, Lawrence can now undergo his surgery and get a head start on his recovery for next season.

Jacksonville saw Lawrence battle a few injuries last season, a campaign that involved a concussion. The team slid from 8-3 to 9-8 but still bet big on its quarterback during the first offseason he was extension-eligible. The Jags picked up Lawrence’s fifth-year option, but rather than wait for the QB to prove it for another season like the Dolphins did with Tua Tagovailoa, the team paid the going rate by extending Lawrence at a then-record $55MM per year.

This came during an offseason in which the Jaguars also extended Josh Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell, with the two defenders respectively collecting the second- and third-largest contracts in franchise history. With the Jags tumbling to 2-10 after this spree of extensions, this has proven a wildly disappointing season — one that will almost definitely result in Doug Pederson’s firing. It remains to be seen if GM Trent Baalke will be booted as well, but that is believed to be in play.

If Lawrence is indeed done for the year, it will mark the end of his worst season since he led the Jaguars to a 3-14 record as a rookie. His 204.5 passing yards per game are a career-low, as were his 17.2 completions and 28.4 attempts per game. Mac Jones is slated to start the rest of the season under center for the Jaguars, with former Lawrence backup C.J. Beathard set to reprise his QB2 role.

Jaguars Claim WR Josh Reynolds

December 4th, 2024 at 9:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jaguars have claimed veteran receiver Josh Reynolds after he was waived by the Broncos on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

With an available spot on their 53-man roster after placing Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve, the Jaguars opted to add veteran reinforcements at receiver with Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis currently on IR.

Reynolds has been through a tumultuous season, initially landing on injured reserve in October due to finger surgery before being wounded in a shooting in Denver later that month. He only made 12 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown in his five games pre-injury, though his 9.6 yards per target represented a career-high.

Reynolds was designated to return from injured reserve on November 13, but the Broncos opted to waive him rather than use one of their three remaining IR activations.

Denver has found a rhythm in their passing game over the last month with young wideouts Devaughn Vele and Marvin Mims. Rather than retain Reynolds in a reserve role, the Broncos waived him to give him a chance to earn more targets with another team.

Indeed, Reynolds could be in line for some immediate playing time in Jacksonville. Rookie wideout Brian Thomas leads the team with 46 catches for 765 yards, but the next-best healthy Jaguars receiver is Parker Washington with just 16 catches for 221 yards in 12 games. Reynolds nearly surpassed that production in his five games already this year, and his recent history with five different teams since 2020 suggests that he should be able to integrate into his new offense quickly.

The Jaguars will owe Reynolds just over $623K for the rest of the season, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Thomasson, while the Broncos save the same amount against their salary cap. Reynolds is under contract for $3.99MM in base salary next year with an additional $510k in per-game roster bonuses, though none of that money is guaranteed, per OverTheCap. If he impresses his new team, he could stick around in Jacksonville in 2025, but the Jaguars could still cut him without any dead cap hit after this season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/24

December 3rd, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

With Trevor Lawrence currently in concussion protocol, the Jaguars have added some QB depth to the organization. John Wolford brings four games of starting experience to Jacksonville, all coming with the Rams between 2020 and 2022. The Wake Forest product went 2-2 in those appearances, tossing one touchdown vs. five interceptions. He’ll slide in behind Mac Jones and C.J. Beathard in the franchise’s QB pecking order.

The Eagles added a veteran fullback to their roster in Khari Blasingame. The 28-year-old has appeared in 66 games since entering the league in 2019, collecting 131 yards from scrimmage on 24 carries. The Eagles recently lost part-time fullback Ben VanSumeren for the season, opening a role for a handful of blocking snaps per game.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Harris, Jaguars

December 3rd, 2024 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Given a historically quick hook based on his draft status, Anthony Richardson has continued to struggle as a passer upon being reinserted into the Colts‘ lineup. He has only bumped his completion percentage up to 47.5, remaining on pace to become just the seventh QB to finish south of 50% (min. 200 attempts) this century. Still, Richardson has guided Indianapolis to two wins since returning.

The benching also came partially because of Richardson’s preparation issues. Adding more on that, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder indicates the Colts believed their quarterback needed to invest more time into his job. This was a bigger organizational concern than Richardson’s accuracy issues, Holder notes. The benching provided a wakeup call, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and Richardson’s literal wakeup calls have come earlier since. The QB, per Holder, is believed to be showing up at the facility around 5:30am to begin preparation.

Richardson may not be out of the woods yet regarding assurances the Colts stick with him in 2025. While the benching certainly garnered his attention, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the quarterback may well be tied to the fates of GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen. It would seem a bit unlikely Jim Irsay would fire Steichen if the team misses the playoffs, but Ballard is in Year 8 and would be 2-for-8 in postseason berths if the 6-7 Colts miss out this season. This nugget would point to a new GM not being tied to Richardson, which would place the raw talent on shakier ground. The Ballard-Steichen-Richardson trio still has four games to prove it deserves a third season together.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

  • Richardson may soon have a Pro Bowl center snapping to him once again. Steichen said (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell) Ryan Kelly will have a good chance of returning to practice before the Colts’ Week 15 game against the Broncos. Kelly landed on IR due to a knee injury, one that was not expected to be season-ending. With Kelly playing out an extension he signed in 2020, this Colts homestretch will be pivotal to his 2025 market. Kelly is a four-time Pro Bowler who would be a free agent — barring a deal before the legal tampering period — ahead of an age-32 season. The Colts have been a retention-heavy team under Ballard, but they have seen fourth-round rookie Tanor Bortolini hold his own in Kelly’s stead.
  • Staying on the subject of IR returns, the Texans have been without linebacker Christian Harris all season. The AFC South leaders placed Harris on IR with a return designation August 27, devoting one of their injury activations to the third-year defender in advance. Harris, however, has lingered on IR (with a calf injury) since. But GM Nick Caserio pointed to a near-future return. Harris has not seen his practice window opened, but KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds that is likely to happen soon. With Azeez Al-Shaair appealing a three-game suspension, Houston could certainly use Harris — a 23-game starter from 2022-23 — back in action.
  • Doug Pederson is following in Ron Rivera‘s footsteps as a second-chance HC playing out the string. The Jaguars are all but certain to fire the former Super Bowl-winning coach at season’s end. This will leave Pederson’s staff in limbo, and one of the staffers — running backs coach Jerry Mack — is getting out early. Kennesaw State hired Mack as head coach, the school announced. A former HC at North Carolina Central and RBs coach at Tennessee, Mack spent nearly 20 years in the college ranks before joining Pederson’s staff this year. The 44-year-old assistant will return to the college ranks months after arriving in Jacksonville.

Jaguars, LT Walker Little Agree To Extension

December 1st, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jaguars have agreed to a three-year, $45MM extension with left tackle Walker Little, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report. The deal, which features $26MM in guaranteed money, will keep Little under club control through 2027.

Little, 25, was selected by Jacksonville in the second round of the 2021 draft and saw just six regular season starts over his first two professional seasons. However, three of those games — along with two more postseason appearances as a starter — came at the end of the Jaguars’ exciting 2022 campaign, when the club rallied to a playoff berth and won a memorable wildcard round bout against the Chargers. Little’s efforts during that stretch earned the praise of quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

This season, speaking shortly after the Jags traded longtime LT Cam Robinson to the Vikings (thereby paving the way for Little), Lawrence said, “[Little] had to come in, in ‘22 when Cam got hurt, and finish the season when we were on that run. We didn’t skip a beat because he was prepared, and he prepared every day like a starter. … [H]e’s more than ready and he’s done a great job. I’m excited for him. I’ve got all the faith in the world, and he’s played great so far” (h/t John Shipley of SI.com).

Little received extensive work in 2023 thanks in large part to Robinson’s PED suspension and subsequent knee injury (though some of Little’s action came at left guard). In 14 games (11 starts), Little was flagged for seven penalties and yielded 26 total pressures, seven of which got home for sacks. That amounted to a middling 58.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which positioned him as the 58th-best tackle out of 81 qualifiers.

Now the unquestioned starter at left tackle in the wake of this year’s Robinson trade, Little has started each of the Jags’ last four games and has allowed just one sack and three QB hits during that time. PFF has assigned him a strong 67.9 overall mark for his 2024 work, and his performance to date has convinced Jacksonville brass that Little is the right player to protect Lawrence’s blind side for the foreseeable future.

Naturally, GM Trent Baalke was “heavily involved” in the Little negotiations, as Schefter confirms. Of course, Baalke is very much on the hot seat, so it is at least notable that he is making major decisions that will impact the long-term future of the Jaguars. A rival executive tells Schefter that the Little extension is a sign that Baalke is planning to remain with the club, though Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle throws some cold water on that notion. As Branch reminds us, Baalke authorized a five-year, $35MM deal for tight end Vance McDonald in December 2016, when Baalke was serving as GM of the 49ers. Baalke was fired less than a month later.

Regardless of what it means for Baalke’s future, Little’s new contract likely takes the 2-9 Jaguars out of the running for an offensive tackle when they make their first pick of the 2025 draft, as ESPN’s Field Yates posits.

Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence Carted Off, Ruled Out With Concussion

December 1st, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Trevor Lawrence‘s return to the lineup has come to an abrupt end. Jacksonville’s quarterback was carted off the field following a hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (video link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

Lawrence has since been ruled out of the game with a concussion. Al-Shaair was ejected from the contest, and the matter of whether or not he faces supplemental discipline will be worth watching closely over the coming days. In the meantime, the Jaguars will move forward without their starting quarterback once again.

By the start of the current campaign, Lawrence had only missed one game due to injury. The former No. 1 pick suffered an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder during Jacksonville’s Week 9 contest, though, and that left him sidelined through to Jacksonville’s bye week. As expected, Lawrence managed to return to action today, but a head injury suffered in the closing weeks of a 2-9 season may represent his last action in 2024.

Prior to suiting up for Sunday’s contest, Lawrence acknowledged that surgery on his shoulder was a possibility (albeit one he preferred to avoid given how it would shut him down for the remainder of the season). Jacksonville is not in playoff contention, so taking a cautious approach would not have come as a surprise with respect to his shoulder. Now, the team may opt to keep the Clemson product on the sidelines for the rest of the year. At a minimum, more missed time should be expected.

Lawrence joined the growing list of quarterbacks attached to monster extensions this offseason, signing a five-year, $275MM deal. Given the nature of Jacksonville’s commitment to him, it would come as no surprise if a stint on injured reserve were to be explored. That would entail at least a four-game absence, something which could in turn lend itself to Lawrence remaining unavailable until 2025.

Jacksonville will once again turn to backup Mac Jones at quarterback. The former Patriots first-rounder did not impress during his two starts when Lawrence was previously sidelined, but this latest injury will give him another opportunity to deliver a strong showing. Doing so would help Jones’ value as a pending free agent.

Trevor Lawrence To Return To Jaguars’ Lineup In Week 13

December 1st, 2024 at 10:49am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 1: Lawrence is indeed active for today’s matchup against the Texans.

NOVEMBER 29: The first game after Jacksonville’s bye week was floated as a possible return date for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. As things stand, it appears that will indeed be the point at which he next takes the field.

Lawrence resumed practicing this week while continuing to deal with an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. Surgery is under consideration, but the former No. 1 pick’s preference is to return to action over the closing weeks of the season. The 2-9 Jaguars are set to face the Texans on Sunday, and Lawrence is on track to be in the lineup for that contest.

“He’s had a good week,” head coach Doug Pederson said (via Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union). “Done some really good things this week. I would say as of right now, yes, he will play.”

A postseason berth is not in the cards for Jacksonville, but having Lawrence back in the picture could offer a needed boost on offense. In two games with Mac Jones at the helm, the team has amassed only 313 yards and 13 points. Lawrence has not enjoyed a stellar campaign in his own regard, with his passer rating (87.9) being the worst mark since his rookie season. Still, he could give the Jags a higher floor in the passing game he if manages to avoid aggravating his shoulder injury.

Lawrence is attached to the $275MM extension he signed this offseason, so his long-term health is an obvious priority for the franchise. Pederson noted there will be no restrictions for the Clemson product provided he is on the field Sunday, though, so the team’s offense will look to operate as usual with its top signal-caller back in the fold. Should Lawrence encounter a setback in the immediate future, Jones would be in position to see playing time once again; it would currently come as a surprise if that were to become necessary, however.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/24

November 30th, 2024 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo is listed as questionable, but head coach Raheem Morris is confident he’ll play, calling Patterson an emergency option.

Speculation out of Baltimore was that Maulet wouldn’t require a second stint on injured reserve with his calf injury, but that intel appears to have been off. Maulet and Kolar could potentially make a return in time for the postseason, but they’ll miss four games before they do.

VanSumeren served double-duty as a fullback and linebacker. With his placement on IR, Uzomah was targeted as a possibility to fill in at fullback.

Jags’ Trevor Lawrence Considering Surgery

November 28th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Trevor Lawrence has missed the Jaguars’ last two games while dealing with an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. The door is open to a return in Week 13, but surgery aimed at correcting the issue is also receiving consideration.

Such a procedure would shut Lawrence down for the remainder of the campaign, and with Jacksonville not in touching distance of a postseason berth it would make sense to play it safe on the injury front. The former No. 1 pick returned to practice this week, however, giving him the chance to suit up for the first game after the Jags’ bye. How he manages this issue over the near future will determine if the surgical route is to be taken.

“[Surgery is] definitely something that I’m considering and not off the table at all,” Lawrence said when addressing the matter (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco). “It’s something that we’re going to have to just [approach] truly day-by-day, week-by-week.

“Hopefully I’m able to get back out there this week or as soon as possible and then it’s going to be just every week kind of evaluating it, seeing where it’s at. Obviously up until this point I’ve been doing everything I can to avoid that and want to be back out there with my guys and finish the season. So that’s my goal.”

Lawrence was available for every game during each of his first two seasons, and he missed only one contest in 2023 despite playing through a number of lingering ailments. The 25-year-old’s QBR for this season (61.8) is the highest of his career, but he in particular and Jacksonville’s offense as a whole has not lived up to expectations. A rebound over the coming weeks could boost head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke‘s job security, but notable changes in the offseason should still be expected given the 2-9 team’s struggles.

If Lawrence manages to suit up on Sunday against the Texans, he and the team will get a better sense of the feasibility of remaining on the field for the rest of the year. If not, it will be Mac Jones getting the nod once again; the offseason trade acquisition has thrown three interceptions (with no touchdowns) and taken four sacks during his two starts so far, so expectations would be limited if he were to remain in place under center.

2024 NFL Dead Money, By Team

November 27th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants making the decision to waive Daniel Jones, rather than keep him around ahead of a potential 2025 post-June 1 cut designation, changed their dead money outlook for this year and next. Here is how their new total fits in with the rest of the teams’ numbers for dead money — cap space allocated to players no longer on the roster — entering the final third of the regular season. Numbers courtesy of OverTheCap.

  1. Denver Broncos: $85.21MM
  2. New York Giants: $79.57MM
  3. Minnesota Vikings: $69.83MM
  4. Buffalo Bills: $68.47MM
  5. Carolina Panthers: $68.28MM
  6. Green Bay Packers: $65.53MM
  7. Tennessee Titans: $62.89MM
  8. Philadelphia Eagles: $61.95MM
  9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $60.64MM
  10. New Orleans Saints: $59.44MM
  11. New York Jets: $59.24MM
  12. Los Angeles Chargers: $58.62MM
  13. New England Patriots: $53.37MM
  14. Miami Dolphins: $52.28MM
  15. Seattle Seahawks: $52MM
  16. Jacksonville Jaguars: $51.2MM
  17. Las Vegas Raiders: $49.37MM
  18. Washington Commanders: $42.81MM
  19. Houston Texans: $39.28MM
  20. Cleveland Browns: $38.79MM
  21. Los Angeles Rams: $34.63MM
  22. Detroit Lions: $33.71MM
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: $30.18MM
  24. Chicago Bears: $29.65MM
  25. Arizona Cardinals: $29.35MM
  26. San Francisco 49ers: $26.91MM
  27. Dallas Cowboys: $26.79MM
  28. Baltimore Ravens: $21.35MM
  29. Kansas City Chiefs: $12.65MM
  30. Indianapolis Colts: $11.8MM
  31. Atlanta Falcons: $11.55MM
  32. Cincinnati Bengals: $9.11MM

The Jones release moved more than $13MM of dead cap onto the Giants’ 2024 payroll. More significantly, the Giants granting Jones an early exit — after a contract-driven benching — will prevent the team from designating him a post-June 1 cut next year. The Giants will take on $22.2MM in dead money in 2025, rather than being able to split that bill over two offseasons. The team also took on more than $10MM in dead money this year due to the 2023 Leonard Williams trade.

This year’s most egregious dead money offender has been known for months. The Broncos’ contract-driven Russell Wilson benching last year preceded a historic release, which saddled the team with more than $83MM in total dead money. A small cap credit is set to come in 2025 (via Wilson’s veteran-minimum Pittsburgh pact), but for this year, $53MM in dead cap hit Denver’s payroll as a result of the the quarterback’s release.

The Broncos more than doubled the previous single-player dead money record, which the Falcons held ($40.5MM) for trading Matt Ryan), and they will be on the hook for the final $30MM-plus in 2025. Beyond Wilson, no other ex-Bronco counts more than $7.5MM in dead money. In terms of total dead cap, however, the Broncos barely check in north of the Buccaneers and Rams’ 2023 totals. Denver is trying to follow those teams’ lead in rallying back to make the playoffs despite nearly a third of its 2024 payroll tied up in dead cap.

Twenty-two players represent dead money for the Saints, who have seen their total updated since the Marshon Lattimore trade. Rather than restructure-crazed GM Mickey Loomis using the Lattimore contract once again to create cap space next year, the Saints will take on the highest non-QB dead money hit in NFL history. Lattimore counts $14MM in that category this year before the contract shifts to a whopping $31.66MM in dead cap on New Orleans’ 2025 payroll. Considering the Saints are again in their own sector for cap trouble next year ($62MM-plus over), the Lattimore trade will create some issues as the team attempts to rebound post-Dennis Allen.

Two 2023 restructures ballooned the Vikings’ figure toward $70MM. Void years on Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter‘s deals combined for more than $43MM in dead money. Minnesota also ate nearly $7MM from the void years on Marcus Davenport‘s one-year contract, while the release of 2022 first-rounder Lewis Cine (currently on the Bills’ practice squad) accounted for more than $5MM.

Free from the Tom Brady dead money that comprised a chunk of their 2023 cap, the Bucs still have eight-figure hits from the Carlton Davis trade and Mike Evans‘ previous contract voiding not long before the sides agreed on a new deal. Elsewhere in the NFC South, three of the players given multiyear deals in 2023 — Vonn Bell, Hayden Hurst, Bradley Bozeman — being moved off the roster in GM Dan Morgan‘s first offseason represent nearly half of Carolina’s dead cap.

 

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