JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars might have a serious injury question facing them.
The Jaguars left Week 5 with a much-needed last-second victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, but it didn't come without its costs. Left tackle Anton Harrisonwas carted off the field in the third-quarter and did not return, and now his status is up in the air.
“Yeah, I mean, we'll have to see. He just got an MRI, just now, so we don't have the results back yet. We're kind of at the mercy of that and to see what that looks like and how he feels. He's a little stiff," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Monday.
"I have a lot of belief in [Jeff Ferguson, Vice President of Player Health and Performance] and our group downstairs to be able to…If anybody's going to get him ready to play, it'll be them, and we'll have to be patient with, obviously, if he's not able to, you know, practice what that looks like and go from there. But, you know, it was a weird play. He was trying to block on the turnback, and it just tweaked on him a little bit. We'll have to see what the MRI looks like. We're at the mercy of it right now.”
So if the Jaguars are set to be without Harrison for an extended period of time, what are their options moving forward? We break it down below.
Lean on Walker Little
This is the most obvious, and most likely, scenario. Walker Little is a legit starting offensive tackle talent in the NFL, and there are not a ton of teams who he would have opened 2025 as a backup for. That is why the Jaguars have valued their offensive line depth the way they have over the years, and they have the rare luxury of having another starting offensive tackle ready to play if the scenario ever came up where they needed one.
Little played well for the Jaguars during his half of football against the Eagles, and there is plenty of reason to think he can hold his own moving forward. In this scenario, the Jaguars would likely have Wyatt Milum as their swing tackle option, with Daniel Faalele also joining the mix. Eventually, the Jaguars will be set to get Patrick Mekari back from injured reserve as well, giving the Jaguars another potential depth option for offensive tackle.
Little has started a lot of games at left tackle before, and the Jaguars are in a better spot than many teams would be if their starting tackle was injured. This is what makes the most sense for the Jaguars and their offensive line moving forward.
Move Cole Van Lanen Back to LT
Another option could be to do some musical chairs at the offensive tackle position. Cole Van Lanen did some great things at left tackle last season when he earned his big-time contract extension, and Little has experience at right tackle as well. Daniel Faalele and Wyatt Milum are also better depth options as right tackles as opposed to at left tackle, which could make this the best way for the Jaguars to get their best five on the field.
That is not to say this option would be without its faults, of course. Van Lanen has spent every single snap of this season at right tackle, and the Jaguars even noted before Week 1 that Van Lanen's most comfortable spot is at the right tackle spot. He played great at left tackle a year ago, but he is still just five games into his season after a serious knee injury in January. Putting a position switch on top of that could be asking quite a lot.
Examine the Trade Market
This feels like the least likely option, but it is worth considering. There are not many teams that would be willing to part with starting-caliber offensive tackles, but I think James Gladstone is the general manager who could find a deal if there was one to be made. The Jaguars have a decent amount of draft picks to work with as well, which means Gladstone could get aggressive if it appears the Jaguars will be without Harrison for the long-term.
Again, the lack of options would be an issue, which is what makes this more of an extreme option than anything else. But the Jaguars have quickly put together trades to fill holes on the roster in the past, and it would not make much sense to count out Gladstone and the Jaguars from doing it again if the situation demands it.
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