The Jacksonville Jaguars were stacked at receiver, so rookie Trebor Pena was always going to have an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster. To nobody's surprise, he got the boot before the cutdown deadline.
Insider Jordan Schultz reports that the Jags are waiving Pena, hoping that he goes unclaimed on waivers, so they can bring him back on the practice squad.
Pena caught fire in the preseason. He led the team in receiving yards, catches, and yards per reception. But in the end, it wasn't enough to help him secure a spot on the 53-man roster.
Why the Jaguars waived Trebor Pena
Trebor Pena signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent and began to take off in training camp. Then, he made the most of his chances in the preseason, hauling in 10 receptions on 13 targets for 149 yards with one touchdown.
On the other hand, Jacksonville was set at receiver, with Travis Hunter, CJ Williams, Josh Cameron, Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Brian Thomas Jr. slated to make the roster. Simply put, Pena didn't have a clear path to contribute as a rookie.
It's also worth noting that Williams and Cameron also stood out in training camp, and they did it with the starters, unlike Pena, who mostly played with the second and third-stringers.
Nevertheless, the former Penn State Nittany Lion has enough upside to warrant a spot on the practice squad, where he can keep honing his skill.
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What's next for Trebor Pena after being waived by the Jaguars
Of course, there's a chance a team in need of help at receiver will claim Trebor Pena. The Jaguars knew they ran that risk when they waived him. On the one hand, they don't really need him, as they're loaded at the position. On the other hand, Jacksonville would surely like to keep him around because of his intriguing skills.
So let's say Pena gets a spot on the practice squad. It would be hard to see him promoted to the active roster unless the Jags suffered injuries at receiver. Jakobi Meyers is currently dealing with an arm injury, but if he's unavailable for the season opener, CJ Williams and Josh Cameron could see an uptick in playing time.
And that's the thing, the Jaguars could afford to let Pena walk precisely because Cameron and Williams are equally talented, if not more.
It will ultimately be interesting to see what ends up happening to Trebor Pena, but you can bet that this is just the beginning of what could be an intriguing NFL career. As the saying goes, rejection is redirection, and the undrafted will land on his feet. Whether that's with the Jaguars or someone else remains to be seen.
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