Shaquill Griffin was out of action Sunday due to a back injury, one week after he was torched by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan.
In his place, fifth-year cornerback Tre Herndon stepped into the starting lineup against the New York Giants. After allowing a touchdown pass on the opening drive, Herndon settled in and played well.
But was his performance enough to keep Herndon ahead of Griffin on the depth chart? Jaguars coach Doug Pederson pumped the brakes on that notion on Monday.
“I think if [Griffin]’s healthy, you can’t discredit that,” Pederson said. “Shaq obviously is the starter at that position, but Tre’s done a nice job. If Shaq weren’t able to go, he’d obviously take that spot.”
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Griffin, 27, told reporters that he’s been dealing with a back issue since camp and it was aggravated during the loss to the Colts. He didn’t practice at all last week and was ruled out Friday.
The Jaguars added Griffin, who was a Pro Bowler with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019, on a three-year, $40 million deal in 2021. Herndon joined the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2018.