Although wide receiver Jakobi Meyers has made it clear that he'll suit up for the season opener, it's still unknown if the Jacksonville Jaguars will have running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen for the game. The good news is that both of them took a positive step in their latest practice.
Meyers and Van Lanen were limited on the first injury report for the Week 1 game against the Cleveland Browns, while Allen didn't participate in practice. He changed that Thursday.
LeQuint Allen Jr. was a limited participant on the latest Jaguars injury report
After getting the "did not participate" label Wednesday, LeQuint Allen Jr. was a limited participant Thursday, marking the first time he did work since training camp. The second-year running back had been sidelined since he suffered a soft-tissue injury in training camp.
Thursday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/B25IUVfboh
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 10, 2026
Cole Van Lanen and Jakobi Meyers were also limited participants. The former, like Allen, will be game-time decisions.
Now, just because Allen returned to practice doesn't mean he'll play against the Browns. Moreover, the Jags can afford to hold him out because veteran Ameer Abdullah can fill in for him.
Like Allen, Abdullah excels in pass protection and can catch the football out of the backfield. He signed with the Jags after the draft and appeared to be a long shot to make the 53-man roster. However, he made the most of his chances and ended up getting the nod over rookie J'Mari Taylor and DeeJay Dallas.
Of course, there's also a chance Allen will play, and if that's the case, Abdullah could be inactive for the season opener. Then again, the Jags may be better off waiting for Allen to fully recover, since the regular season is just beginning and they will need him at full strength down the stretch.
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The Jaguars may miss Cole Van Lanen more than LeQuint Allen Jr.
Even though the Jaguars would miss LeQuint Allen Jr., not having Cole Van Lanen for the season opener would arguably be a bigger blow. After all, he was arguably their best offensive lineman last year, lining up at different positions before settling at left tackle.
Van Lanen will start at right tackle once he's back in the lineup. But during his absence, Walker Little will probably hold the fort. While Little has ample starting experience, there's a drop-off going from Van Lanen to him.
Now, the Jags expected Van Lanen to return in training camp, but it took them a while to activate him from the Physically Unable to Perform list. It's possible that they were just being extra cautious with him and wanted to bring him along slowly. If that's the case, Van Lanen could make his 2026 debut against the Browns.
But if the former Wisconsin Badger isn't at full strength, the Jaguars can easily put off his return for one or two games until he's ready. Either way, the latest injury report shows that he and LeQuint Allen Jr. are making strides in their respective return from injury.
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