The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without rookie Bhayshul Tuten for a few weeks after undergoing finger surgery. While they have Travis Etienne and LeQuint Allen in the fold, they could still use a No. 3. This is where Cody Scharader would have come in handy, but the Jags released him in November. Ideally, they would bring him back, but the issue is that he already has a team.
After his release, the Houston Texans claimed Schrader but have already waived him. This would have been the ideal time for Jacksonville to sign him. However, the Denver Broncos swooped in and signed him just before their Week 16 matchup. Coincidence? Probably not.
The Broncos will want to get as much Jaguars intel from Cody Schrader as they can
With RJ Harvey dealing with a rib injury, the Broncos legitimately needed help at running back, and Cody Schrader was available, so they went ahead and checked off a couple of boxes ahead of the Jaguars game.
The truth is that Schrader didn't get meaningful playing time in Jacksonville. Heck, he was even a healthy scratch at times, so this is nothing more than a depth move, and the opportunity to pick up his brain. And that's the thing, clubs will try to get whatever edge they can get. There's no rule that prevents players from sharing intel about teams they previously suited up for.
An undrafted free agent in 2024, Schrader signed with the San Francisco 49ers and landed with the Los Angeles Rams a few months later. The former Mizzou Tiger spent his rookie year and a good chunk of the 2025 season with them before he was waived in early December.
Schrader then spent a week with Houston before he joined the Broncos. Don't be shocked if they give him the boot after the game, as he will have served his purpose.
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The Jaguars will be ready even if the Broncos extract intel from Cody Schrader
The Jaguars are well aware that Cody Schrader could spill the beans, and they'll be prepared for them. They'll surely try to add wrinkles or make adjustments to the offense that the Denver staff hasn't seen. Moreover, knowing is just half the battle.
You may know what play is coming, but you still need the personnel to stop it. The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL, so they're suited to stymie the Jaguars. The good news is that they are no slouches. Denver has a ferocious pass rush, and the way to negate it will be to establish the run. Without Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville will lean on Travis Etienne and LeQuint Allen to get the running game going.
Couple that with Trevor Lawrence's recent surge, and the Jaguars have enough firepower to take on the Broncos even if they are able to extract intel from Cody Schrader successfully.