After a strong start to the season, the Jacksonville Jaguars hit a rough patch heading into the bye week, with back-to-back losses putting a screeching stop to their playoff momentum. The Jags started the season toe-to-toe with the Indianapolis Colts, but in the race for the AFC South, Indy has pulled ahead; they have fallen behind.
There are plenty of issues to go around that Jacksonville needs to contend with, as their losses are largely self-inflicted rather than having been outplayed. There are problems with drops, penalties, and dumb mistakes that need to be addressed... but one particular unit has begun to fail in spectacular fashion.
The Jaguars' offensive line started out looking incredibly strong, allowing just six sacks through five games. But it soon crumbled. In their past two losses, they allowed a combined 10 sacks, along with 34 pressures in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams alone. And while protection woes can't be blamed on one player alone, there is still one lineman who stands out, for having failed so spectacularly while also having been given such a ridiculously high salary.
Was Patrick Mekari a costly mistake for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Patrick Mekari was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2019. The Jaguars gave him a three-year, $37.5 million contract in free agency. The signing was almost immediately controversial.
At the time, Kristopher Knox wrote for Bleacher Report that Mekari was likely to be a bust, saying he was "overpaid from the moment he arrived." Mekari became the 18th highest-paid guard in the league, despite ranking fairly low among guards by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). So, although Mekari was not a top-tier guard, Jacksonville chose to pay him as such. And unfortunately, as Knox predicted, he has not been worth the money.
One of the only things Mekari has working for him is his versatility; he can line up at any position on the offensive line. And while that's certainly helpful, it also makes it difficult for any offensive lineman to play at a high level when they're constantly changing the position they're being asked to play, as has happened with Mekari.
Regardless of the whys, the Jaguars need to win now. It may be time to consider benching Mekari in favor of someone else, whether it ends up being a new player acquired through a trade or an existing teammate, like Chuma Edoga. The offensive line is in major trouble, and the Jaguars need to win now. Simply put, they don't have time to sit around and wait for Mekari to figure it out.