Jacksonville Jaguars – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Jaguars vs. Lions: Final injury reports, game statuses

Find Jacksonville and Detroit’s final injury reports and initial game statuses for Week 11 below.

* indicates upgraded status from the previous practice

^ indicates player is designated to return from injured reserve

Jaguars injury report

RB Keilan Robinson^ (toe) — full
RB D’Ernest Johnson (hamstring) — limited
WR Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) — limited
WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
OL Brandon Scherff (knee) — limited
OL Ezra Cleveland (ankle) — limited
OL Blake Hance (knee) — limited
DE Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder) — limited
DT Maason Smith (ankle) — limited
CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
S Daniel Thomas (hamstring) — limited
QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — did not participate
RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — did not participate

Jaguars game statuses

RB Keilan Robinson: QUESTIONABLE
OL Ezra Cleveland: QUESTIONABLE
DL Maason Smith: QUESTIONABLE
QB Trevor Lawrence: OUT
RB Tank Bigsby: OUT

Analysis: After Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson ruled starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Week 11 on Wednesday, Jacksonville announced Friday that running back Tank Bigsby would not play against Detroit, either.

Pederson said Bigsby was slated to practice Friday after being sidelined Wednesday and Thursday, That did not end up being the case as Bigsby was a nonparticipant for the final session of the week.

Jaguars starting left guard Ezra Cleveland enters the matchup questionable. Pederson said Cleveland “should be good to go” Friday, after missing Jacksonville’s last two games.

Lions injury report

OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) — full*
DT Brodric Martin^ (knee) — full
LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) — full*
CB Carlton Davis (hand) — full
CB Emmanuel Moseley^ (pectoral) — full
TE Sam LaPorta (shoulder) — did not participate
LB Ben Niemann (ankle) — did not participate
S Ifeatu Melifonwu^ (ankle) — did not participate

Lions game statuses

LB Ben Niemann: QUESTIONABLE
TE Sam LaPorta: OUT
DT Brodric Martin: OUT
CB Emmanuel Moseley: OUT
S Ifeatu Melifonwu: OUT

Analysis: Star Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was ruled out against the Jaguars after missing each day of practice this week with a shoulder injury. Backup linebacker Ben Niemann joined the injury report Friday with an ankle injury.

Pederson previews Bigsby, Cleveland’s status for Jaguars vs. Lions

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson called Friday a “big day” for determining running back Tank Bigsby’s availability for Jacksonville’s Week 11 road matchup with the Detroit Lions.

Bigsby did not practice Wednesday or Thursday while nursing an ankle injury, which he suffered in Week 7 against the New England Patriots and aggravated Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

“Tank’s gonna go today,” Pederson said Friday. “We’ll see. Optimistic, you know. But obviously, today will be a big day for him.”

Bigsby has rushed for 519 yards and four touchdowns over 95 attempts this season and added three receptions for 36 yards.

Pederson revealed that Jacksonville’s starting left guard, Ezra Cleveland, will likely play against Detroit after missing the Jaguars’ last two games with an ankle injury suffered in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.

“Ezra should be good to go,” Pederson said.

Jacksonville vs. Detroit will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, at Ford Field.

Jaguars vs. Lions: Thursday injury reports

The Jaguars made no changes to their injury report between Wednesday and Thursday, with starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence (expectedly) and running back Tank Bigsby notably missing their second consecutive day of work.

The Lions promoted a pair of players to full participation, but paired the good news with adding a starter to their injury report Thursday.

Find Jacksonville and Detroit’s Thursday injury reports for Week 11 below.

* indicates upgraded status from the previous practice

^ indicates player is designated to return from injured reserve

Jaguars injury report

RB Keilan Robinson^ (toe) — full
RB D’Ernest Johnson (hamstring) — limited
WR Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) — limited
WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
OL Brandon Scherff (knee) — limited
OL Ezra Cleveland (ankle) — limited
OL Blake Hance (knee) — limited
DE Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder) — limited
DT Maason Smith (ankle) — limited
CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
S Daniel Thomas (hamstring) — limited
QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — did not participate
RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — did not participate

Analysis: No changes to report. The Jaguars are trending toward listing a handful of players as questionable to play in Week 11, with starting left guard Ezra Cleveland and rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith’s statuses worth monitoring. Cleveland has missed Jacksonville’s last two games; Smith has been out for three weeks.

Lions injury report

OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) — full*
DT Brodric Martin (knee) — full
LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) — full*
CB Emmanuel Moseley (pectoral) — full
CB Carlton Davis (hand) — limited
S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) — limited
TE Sam LaPorta (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: After not playing against Houston in Week 10, Detroit starting left tackle Taylor Decker and rotational linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez were upgraded to full practice participation Thursday. Both appear poised to play on Sunday.

The Lions added starting cornerback Carlton Davis to their injury report Thursday with a hurt hand, seemingly suffered during practice.

The Athletic tabs ‘easy fit’ if Jaguars pick No. 1 in 2025 NFL draft

If the Jaguars hold onto the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, which they possess 10 weeks into the 2024 season, The Athletic believes Jacksonville’s general manager will face an easy choice come April.

Identifying prospect fits for teams who might take the top spot in the draft, including Jacksonville, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner envisioned a “win-win” for both the club and the player, pairing the Jaguars with Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter Jr.

We’ll see how things go (and, obviously, this job is still filled for the moment), but the Jaguars get my pre-vote for best opening of the impending 2025 NFL coaching cycle. That’s not just because the new coach would get Trevor Lawrence. There’s also a fair amount of young talent to work with on this roster, and the Jaguars currently have the most 2025 draft capital in the league.

Even though the 2025 draft class doesn’t look elite by any measure, it’s more than enough for the Jaguars — an aimless group that is better than its record — to turn their fortunes.

Hunter, the best college player in America, could help finally give Lawrence a real weapon and/or establish the Jaguars’ defensive culture. It’s a win-win. Easy fit.

Hunter has entered the conversation as one of the best two-way players in college football history over his three-year career, under head coach Deion Sanders as a freshman at Jackson State and the last two seasons at Colorado.

Over 26 games between both schools, Hunter has logged 144 receptions for 1,767 yards and 18 touchdowns and 70 total tackles, seven interceptions, 20 defended passes and one forced fumble.

The Jaguars could pair Hunter with Brian Thomas Jr., their star rookie wide receiver, to offer Lawrence a dynamic, young pass-catching duo for years to come if this scenario were to play out.

Should the Jaguars prefer Hunter’s defensive upside, Jacksonville could also align Hunter opposite Tyson Campbell, who signed a four-year contract extension with the club this past offseason, at outside cornerback for the foreseeable future.

Or, the Jaguars could even do both.

The 2025 NFL draft will begin April 24.

Pederson: Defenses are double-covering Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.

It has been a quiet couple of weeks for sensational Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

After averaging roughly four receptions for 72 yards over six targets per game in the first eight weeks of his debut NFL campaign, a stretch in which he scored five touchdowns, Thomas has been limited to seven targets, four catches, 34 yards and zero scores in Jacksonville’s last two games.

Granted, Thomas has played through a chest injury that he suffered in the last game he scored a touchdown, against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.

However, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson has dismissed the notion that Thomas’ production is being limited by his injury.

Instead, Pederson has pointed toward the coverage Thomas has faced in the Jaguars’ recent matchups, largely Cover 3 Cloud in Week 9 against Philadelphia and a mix of traditional Cover 2 and Cover 3 Cloud versus Minnesota in Week 10.

Accordingly, Thomas often had two defenders dedicated to keeping him in check during these games.

“If you specifically watch the football game and not follow the ball, you will see what Philly did in kind of normal down situations. Some on third down as they had a corner and a safety. So, they basically doubled [Thomas],” Pederson explained on Nov. 4, noting the Eagles had not previously presented the coverage much throughout the season.

“It’s hard to throw the ball over there to a guy that’s doubled. So, you have to go other places with the ball. So that was part of their game plan.”

To pair, Pederson acknowledged that the Vikings’ impactful pass rush limited Thomas’ opportunities further in Week 10. Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones took three sacks and was pressured 10 times over 27 dropbacks on Sunday.

With Jaguars starting slot receiver Christian Kirk’s Week 8, season-ending shoulder injury in mind, perhaps opposing defenses are dedicating more resources to slowing Thomas down.

But Pederson believes the coverage attention Thomas has warranted can be navigated, by the coaching staff moving him around the offensive formation pre-snap and Thomas recognizing potential double-teams.

“I think you can put him in stacks, bunches. You can move him around the formation a little bit, do some things that way,” Pederson said Wednesday.

“The only downside to it is the offense has to be stationary at the snap so the defense can still move and get lined up as well. So do the best we can to move him around the formation, and then on Brian to obviously know that he’s going to be doubled at times. He’s just going to have to work to get himself free.”

Thomas’ next test will come against Detroit’s secondary on Sunday. The Lions have allowed 244.2 passing yards per game this season, the fifth-most in the NFL.

Jaguars vs. Lions: Initial injury reports

Find Jacksonville and Detroit’s initial injury reports for the Jaguars and Lions’ Week 11 matchup below.

^ indicates player is designated to return from injured reserve

Jaguars injury report

RB Keilan Robinson^ (toe) — full
RB D’Ernest Johnson (hamstring) — limited
WR Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) — limited
WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
OL Brandon Scherff (knee) — limited
OL Ezra Cleveland (ankle) — limited
OL Blake Hance (knee) — limited
DE Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder) — limited
DT Maason Smith (ankle) — limited
CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
S Daniel Thomas (hamstring) — limited
QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — did not participate
RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — did not participate

Analysis: Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson ruled quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Week 11 before practice on Wednesday, making his nonparticipation not a surprise.

The Jaguars added left guard Blake Hance, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen and cornerback Tyson Campbell to their injury report, meaning each player either suffered an injury against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 or during practice Wednesday. Each player was limited to begin the week.

Running back Tank Bigsby, who was limited daily in Week 10 with an ankle injury and briefly exited against the Vikings, did not practice Wednesday.

Starting left guard Ezra Cleveland returned to practice in a limited capacity after missing Jacksonville’s last two games with an ankle injury.

Lions injury report

DT Brodric Martin (knee) — full
CB Emmanuel Moseley (pectoral) — full
S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) — full
OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) — limited
LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) — limited
TE Sam LaPorta (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: Star Detroit tight end Sam LaPorta did not practice Wednesday after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 10 against Houston. Starting left tackle Taylor Decker and rotational linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez were limited participants to begin Week 11 after not playing against the Texans.

Jaguars vs. Lions: Week 11 TV broadcast map

Most of the geographic United States will get to watch Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore in the early NFL viewing window of Week 11 on CBS, leaving four other games, including the Jaguars’ road matchup with the Lions, to split up what’s left of the map.

Find the CBS early game broadcast map for Week 11 below, via 506sports.com, with Jacksonville vs. Detroit available in blue areas.

Kevin Harlan will call Jacksonville vs. Detroit’s play-by-play with Trent Green offering commentary and Melanie Collins reporting from the sideline.

The 2-8 Jaguars head to Detroit staring down a contest with one of if not the NFL’s best team this season, the 8-1 Lions.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday that it has not been difficult to manage the team’s emotions as they prepare for what on the outside appears to be a daunting task.

“No, it’s really not. It’s a great group of guys,” Pederson said. “This is Week 11. Guys haven’t really had a break, obviously. They keep grinding.

“Are we defeated, disappointed, discouraged? I mean, there’s moments of that, obviously, because of the way the season’s going. But by no means are they quitting or lack of energy or wanting to improve. Get better as a team, I still see that every single day. It’s a credit to those guys.”

Jacksonville vs. Detroit will kick off at 1 p.m. ET at Ford Field.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence ruled out vs. Lions

The Jaguars will be without Trevor Lawrence again in Week 11, as Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson ruled the starting quarterback out against the Detroit Lions before practice on Wednesday.

Lawrence also missed Jacksonville’s Week 10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, after a week of limited practice participation due to a left shoulder injury suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

“Trevor will be out, we decided this week,” Pederson told reporters Wednesday. “He’s getting close, but to make sure that — again, you guys know how I am with injuries, we don’t want to put a player out there that’s not 100%. So, we’re going to rest him one more week.”

Lawrence is reportedly nursing a “significant” AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder.

Lawrence has completed 168-of-274 (61.3%) passes for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts this season. He has also rushed for three touchdowns.

Pederson acknowledged the benefit of Jacksonville’s bye week following the Jaguars’ matchup with the Lions, effectively giving Lawrence a three-week recovery window given his light workload in practice last week.

That said, Pederson did not guarantee Lawrence would be ready to go come the Jaguars’ Week 13 home bout with the Houston Texans.

“It’s still a question mark. But, you know, I’m optimistic,” Pederson said.

Jacksonville native Mac Jones will start against the Lions, in Lawrence’s place for the second consecutive week. The Jaguars’ backup quarterback completed 14-of-22 passes for 111 yards with two interceptions and a fumble against the Vikings.

Jaguars sign pair of OL to practice squad; release QB, LS

The Jaguars signed a pair of offensive linemen, Jerome Carvin and Dieter Eiselen, to their practice squad on Tuesday.

Jacksonville released long snapper Peter Bowden and quarterback John Rhys Plumlee from its practice squad in corresponding moves.

Carvin entered the NFL in 2023 as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee, originally signing with Kansas City. He was released from the Chiefs’ injured reserve that September but joined their practice squad this January, only to sign to the Chicago Bears’ offseason roster a week later.

Carvin spent the preseason with the Bears but was waived during 2024 preseason roster cutdowns. He joined the New England Patriots’ practice squad in late August and was released in October.

Eiselen, a native of Stellenbosch, South Africa, signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Yale in 2020. He spent two seasons largely on Chicago’s practice squad but was elevated to the active roster for three games.

Eiselen signed to Chicago’s active roster for the 2022 season and appeared in 11 games. He was released during the 2023 preseason and joined Houston’s practice squad, from which he was promoted to the Texans’ active roster to make 10 appearances.

Eiselen spent time on the Denver Broncos’ and San Francisco 49ers’ practice squads this season, before joining the Jaguars’.

Plumlee, a 2024 undrafted free agent, signed with Jacksonville’s practice squad following August’s preseason cutdowns, shortly after being waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bowden joined the Jaguars’ practice squad last Tuesday.

Pederson, Jaguars trying to ‘stay positive’ amid 2024 slide

Doug Pederson and the Jaguars are trying to “stay positive” amid their three-game losing streak and a 2-8 season.

Jacksonville has done anything but meet the winning expectation Jaguars owner Shad Khan set in a team meeting before the preseason, opening the year with its sixth 0-4 mark in franchise history and sliding into the No. 1 spot of the current 2025 NFL draft order by Week 11.

Pederson has not lost hope yet, however. He believes the Jaguars still have room to turn their campaign around.

“I think our goals and everything are right in front of us,” Pederson expressed Monday. “Despite the mistakes and the losses, obviously.”

In Pederson’s eyes, the Jaguars still have a chance to right the ship in an AFC South which includes only one winning team, the Texans (6-4). Jacksonville will face Houston and the Indianapolis Colts (4-6) once more apiece, having already beaten the latter in Week 5, and the Tennessee Titans (2-7) twice.

Jacksonville will also face the New York Jets (3-7) in Week 15 and Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) in Week 16.

If the Jaguars managed to turn their year around, it would not be dissimilar from the club’s run to the 2022-23 AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, when Jacksonville won its division by finishing 9-8, on a five-game winning streak.

“You show them where we are. You show them our division, you show them what’s left on the schedule, and you try to stay positive,” Pederson explained his approach to keeping the Jaguars confident. “I still feel like it’s a great opportunity for us as a team. We’ve got to figure out how to win a game.”

What gives Pederson confidence is the effort he has witnessed from the Jaguars in their losses, six of which have been decided by five or fewer points.

He pointed to what was effectively a loss-sealing penalty by Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday as an example of the team’s fight.

Walker was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a 3rd and 7, six-yard run by running back Aaron Jones. Walker aggressively tried to punch the football out of Jones’ grip and force a takeaway deep in Minnesota territory with 52 seconds left in the game, as Jacksonville trailed 12-7.

Pederson commended Walker’s desire to make a potential game-changing play, on the Jacksonville defense’s 80th play of the game, no less.

“It’s a crazy business and it can change for us in a hurry the other way and get positive in a quick way. But the guys haven’t checked out whatsoever. They put in the time during the week,” Pederson said.

“It’s hard. You hurt for the guys because you just see how much they put into it. And then they’re not rewarded for it. To have six one-score losses, six games. It’s hard. That’s hard. Sometimes we make it hard. But yet the guys, like I said, they see it. They understand it. We’re all in it together and we try to fix them and move on.”

Oddsmakers are not confident Jacksonville will achieve its seventh one-score loss of the season in Detroit on Sunday, with the Lions currently considered 13-point favorites over the Jaguars in Week 11.

With Jacksonville on bye in Week 12 and Khan’s megayacht having docked in town last week, speculation abounds regarding Pederson’s future with the Jaguars.

An upset victory over Detroit could, at least temporarily, dispel any notion Pederson’s end in Jacksonville is near, and perhaps offer the Jaguars the spark they have been looking for this year.