JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have been dealt their toughest injury blow of the 2026 season.
According to reports, the Jaguars are set to be without left tackle Anton Harrison for the rest of the 2026 season after he reportedly sustained a season-ending ACL injury, and now the next natural step is simple: what's next?
So, what does the Harrison injury mean for the Jaguars moving forward, and for other members of the roster as well? We break it all down below.
Jaguars' Walker Little Bet Paid Off
Jaguars left tackle Walker Little has become a very important piece of the Jaguars' offense, and the Jaguars deserve some credit for showing restraint here. The reason I say that is because Little was an unusually highly-paid non-starting offensive lineman before the Harrison injury, and the Jaguars could have easily moved him for draft picks at any time over the last two seasons. Once the Jaguars paid Cole Van Lanen to be a long-term piece at offensive tackle, Little could have easily become an expendable piece, but the Jaguars never let that happen.
We now know why. The Jaguars were obviously content with fitting Little's price tag on the pay-roll in the event of a rainy day, and it has become time to get the umbrellas and ponchos. Little could have easily been one of the most sought after offensive tackles on the trade market in the time since the offseason began, but the Jaguars never seemed like they were going to trend in that direction. Now, we see the Jaguars set to benefit from the decision.
Not many teams may have been able to show that kind of restraint, but the Jaguars clearly made their offensive line depth a major piece of their roster-building. As a result, the Jaguars are in the rare position where they can sustain the impact of losing their blindside left tackle, something not many other teams could say.
This Creates More Questions for Anton Harrison's Future
The downside for the Jaguars and Harrison's injury was always going to be what it meant for Harrison's long-term future, especially when it comes to the left tackle spot. Harrison was entering his fourth NFL season with the chance to establish himself as the Jaguars' long-term answer at left tackle, which obviously would have made him a very, very rich man whenever it came to his contract extension down the road. Now, a wrench has been thrown into those details.
For one, the Jaguars likely still simply needed to see more from Harrison before comitting big money to him. He would have had at least another 11 games, plus any potential playoff games, at the left tackle spot to prove himself in 2026 before entering his fifth-year option season in 2027. Now, Harrison will be entering 2027 coming off an ACL injury, which very well could naturally change the entire timeline of his extension, and whether one now happens.
This is brutal timing for both Harrison and the Jaguars. Harrison will be back next year, but he had a lot riding on this season, and so did the Jaguars. Now, both parties are set to enter 2027 with a lot more questions than answers.
The Biggest Issue is Now Swing Tackle
If this injury hurts the Jaguars anywhere, it is at the swing tackle position. That goes without saying when most teams lose a starting offensive tackle, but in most cases teams have to turn their attention to the vacated starting role. The Jaguars can feel perfectly fine about the left tackle position with Walker Little, though, which means their focus should now go to the swing tackle spot that Little occupied for the first month-plus of the season, and for at times last season. The swing tackle spot is critical considering the situation the Jaguars are now in, and there are some questions.
The most likely swing tackle as of today is second-year offensive lineman Wyatt Milum, who took reps at the tackle spot during training camp when Cole Van Lanen was missing time. Milum was a college left tackle with years of starting experience at West Virginia, but all but three of his snaps in the NFL have come either at guard or as a sixth-offensive lineman in jumbo packages. The Jaguars do also have Daniel Faalele (182 career snaps at tackle) and eventually Patrick Mekari (1,895 career snaps at tackle) as other options as well.
Perhaps the Jaguars look at external options with the trade deadline a few weeks away. But as things stand today, it feels more likely the Jaguars will have to lean on the offensive line depth chart that they have been building over the last two seasons.
Add us as a preferred source on Google