Jacksonville managed to avoid any catastrophic injuries in the first preseason game against Cleveland, but it’s not entirely unscathed. Several players suffered injuries in the game, and the most notable was backup cornerback Tre Herndon.
Then, during the week of practice, the Jags also endured an injury on the offensive line as Brandon Linder missed Tuesday’s practice. He was able to take the field for the initial session of the week on Monday, but had to exit practice in the late stages and see the team’s doctor.
Jaguars C Brandon Linder not at practice today. Walked to the medical building with the team doctor late in yesterday’s practice
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) August 17, 2021
Jags coach Urban Meyer was able to update the media on both situations, and according to him, Linder is suffering from patella tendonitis and is currently sidelined. Thankfully for the team, the injury isn’t expected to be serious.
“He’s got patella tendonitis, so they gave him a little rehab day today,” Meyer said. “He should be back out. We’re going to sit him for a little bit, but he’s fine. He’s fine.”
Meyer said that backup center Tyler Shatley will be playing in Linder’s spot for the time being.
Herndon’s injury is a bit more serious. After playing just 11 snaps against Cleveland, he was taken out of the game in the first half with a knee injury. Meyer revealed that Herndon has suffered a sprained MCL and is considered week-to-week.
It seems the team is hopeful that Herndon will be ready for Jacksonville’s Week 1 matchup against Houston on Sept. 12, but his status for the rest of the preseason remains questionable.
Herndon is an important player in the Jags’ secondary and will be relied on to play significant reps coming off the bench, a role that will only expand if the team ultimately decides to trade C.J. Henderson (which seems unlikely given his standout performance against the Browns).
Still, the Jags will hope it’s not a serious sprain and that Herndon will be ready to go by the end of the preseason.