Jaguars OLB K’Lavon Chaisson running out of chances to make an impact

Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson’s stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars hasn’t probably gone the way everyone expected. A first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the former LSU Tiger has failed to make an impact and has missed the last five games with a knee injury. Following a stay on the Injured Reserve, the Jags announced Chaisson is on the Designated For Return list.

John Shipley of Sports Illustrated reports Chaisson was working out with trainers on the sidelines Monday, so his return to action seems inevitable. Before getting hurt, the player known as Swiper appeared in four games and played 31 percent of the Jaguars’ total snaps on defense. In that span, he logged just three total tackles but Jacksonville’s pass-rush rotation is in need of a boost, so he will probably get some playing time.

The thing is that Chaisson has been a non-factor throughout his NFL career. He’s only registered two career snaps and has progressively lost playing time. After appearing in 51 percent of the Jags’ defensive snaps in 2020, he played 39 percent last season.

Earlier this year, Chaisson said that the addition of outside linebacker Travon Walker had lit a fire under him but he once again struggled to stand out in training camp and didn’t make much of a difference.

OLB K’Lavon Chaisson’s future with the Jaguars’ hangs by a thread

General manager Trent Baalke inherited K’Lavon Chaisson. He was the director of player personnel when the Jags drafted the edge rusher 20th overall, so he could easily pin the blame on his predecessor, Dave Caldwell.

Chaisson will have one year left on his rookie deal next offseason and it’s highly unlikely that the Jags will pick up his fifth-year option, so it’s fair to wonder if they will pull the plug on him in 2023. At this point, the outside linebacker hasn’t done much to make the team’s brass think he’s a building block and he could benefit from a fresh start somewhere else.

Then again, the Jaguars wouldn’t free up any cap space if they released Chaisson and would instead be left with $4.24 million in dead money, so it might not make sense to move on from him unless they need to give his roster spot to someone else or another club inquires of him.

The fact that Chaisson has already played in three systems in the NFL has probably affected his development. After rushing the passer from a standup position in college, he played in a 3-point stance in his rookie year. He then moved to strong linebacker under Joe Cullen and didn’t do much of note for defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell before he got hurt.

But in the end, the NFL is about execution and Chaisson has failed to deliver. If he gets back on the field, he’ll have a chance to convince the Jaguars’ brass in what’s left of the season that he should stick around in 2023 and beyond.