The Jacksonville Jaguars probably won't be at full strength when they play the Philadelphia Eagles. Apart from losing wide receiver Christian Kirk for the season, they may be without rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. in Week 9.
Thomas suffered a rib injury near the end of the Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Although he was originally projected to miss two to four weeks, the MRI test revealed that the injury wasn't as severe as originally thought, and he'll be day-to-day for the upcoming games.
Update: Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Brian Thomas Jr. is likely to play against Philly. The same is true for running backs Tank Bigsby, and Travis Etienne. All three are listed as questionable for the bout.
Update 2: Thomas is officially active.
#Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) and RB Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) are both likely to play today, barring a setback, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2024
It's the same for WR Brian Thomas Jr. (chest), though Gabe Davis (shoulder) appears to be more of a long-shot.
Against Philly, the former LSU is listed as questionable, with head coach Doug Pederson telling the local beat that the receiver will be a game-time decision. Whether he plays or not, the Jaguars announced they've promoted wide receivers Austin Trammell and Elijah Cooks from the practice squad to the active roster via standard elevation.
- Placed WR Christian Kirk on the reserve/injured list
— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) November 2, 2024
Granted, just because the team promoted Trammell and Cooks, it doesn't mean Thomas won't suit up in Week 9. It's important to point out that Kirk was just placed on Injured Reserve, so the team may just be adding insurance at the position.
If Thomas does play, he may not be 100 percent. Pederson said as much in his exchange with the press corps. On the other hand, the coaching staff has erred on the side of caution when it comes to rushing players back from injuries.
Instead of thrusting them into action, the coaching staff waited until Evan Engram Engram, Tyson Campbell, and Darnell Savage were at full strength to put them back on the field. Jacksonville might also play it safe with Thomas. After all, why should they expose them to further injury when they're on the brink of elimination from playoff contention?
Aside from Brian Thomas Jr., what Jaguars players won't suit up for Week 9?
Whereas Brian Thomas Jr. could play, safety Andrew Wingard, and running back Keilan Robinson have been ruled out for the game. Both of them had their 21-day window activated to return from Injured Reserve. Similarly, rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith won't be playing in Week 9.
On top of that, left guard Ezra Cleveland and right guard Brandon Scherff suffered injuries against the Packers in Week 8 and got the questionable designation against Philadelphia.
If Cleveland and Scherff don't play, Cooper Hodges and Blake Hance will take their respective spots on the lineup.
On a related note, running back Travis Etienne is dealing with a hamstring injury and is questionable. However, Doug Pederson believes he'll be available. The same goes for wide receiver Gabe Davis, who also got the questionable tag.