The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't hesitate to give offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen a contract extension in 2025 because he proved to be a capable starter at left tackle. However, he suffered a knee injury late in the season that kept him out of the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
While general manager James Gladstone says that Van Lanen's recovery is going well, there's a chance that he won't be available for the offseason program. In fact, the injury could be more serious than originally thought, based on a scoop from Michael DiRocco of ESPN.
The Jaguars could be without Cole Van Lanen for a while due to an assumed ACL
Michael DiRocco made an appearance on 1010 XL and says that the injury Cole Van Lanen suffered is rumored to be an ACL, but nobody outside of the organization truly knows.
"I mean, that's just sort of been the buzz, but it was an ACL there... I mean, I think that's just the assumption, so maybe I should have just said an assumed ACL... I mean, he had surgery on the knee. We know that, after the season," DiRocco responded when asked how severe Van Lanen's injury is (1:28:55 mark). "So either way, you're looking at probably not available for OTAs, I would expect, and take it easy with him going to camp, and then you see where it is in camp, and limit him a little bit."
Later, DiRocco points out that the Jaguars may want to keep Walker Little while Van Lanen recovers.
"They can afford to be careful with him and not rush him back because of the presence of Walker Little. I know people expect them to dump Walker Little, and unless they get some unbelievable offer, where they can turn it down, I definitely expect Walker Little to be on the roster going into camp, however it plays out in camp. After that, somebody gets an injury around the league, Van Lanen looks fine, maybe they get the offer that they can't turn down then," DiRocco said.
"But we'll see how it plays out in the offseason with him, but I totally expect both those guys to be absolutely on the roster heading into camp, maybe even heading into the season."
For context, Little has been the subject of trade chatter since he was phased out in favor of Van Lanen. Although he struggled in 2025, the 2021 second-round pick has ample experience, appearing in 70 games with 39 starts the past five years.
Walker Little gives the Jaguars an option in case Cole Van Lanen isn't 100%
Because nobody knows just how serious the Cole Van Lanen injury was, it's hard to tell what his recovery window is. That, in turn, makes it difficult to make any kind of projections about his potential return. But based on the fact that Jacksonville is holding onto Walker Little, Van Lanen may be out for a while.
Think about it, if Van Lanen's injury hadn't been serious, the Jags might have already traded Little, but that doesn't appear to be the case. For the time being, Little will have a prime opportunity to rebuild his stock. If he makes an impression at left tackle, he could stick around in Jacksonville and even start next season.
Conversely, Little could bounce back and get another chance to start with another team. Either way, Van Lanen's absence gives him a prime opportunity to show his worth. On a related note, sophomore Wyatt Milum missed time last year, but he also flashed potential and could compete for playing time at either guard or left tackle.
Either way, the Jaguars should feel comfortable about the state of the left tackle position going into training camp.