The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, but the gritty win was bittersweet because left tackle Anton Harrison suffered a knee injury during the game. At the time, the injury appeared to be serious because Harrison was carted off the field. However, the Jags still don't know how much time he could miss.
Michael DiRocco of ESPN reports that Harrison will undergo arthroscopy surgery, adding that he could miss three to five weeks or the remainder of the season. Given that there's no clear timeline for his return, Jacksonville may need to brace for the worst-case scenario.
Why the Jaguars will miss Anton Harrison
A first-round pick in 2023, Anton Harrison lined up at right tackle the past three seasons but moved to the left side this offseason. His transition has been seamless, and he's done a superb job of keeping Trevor Lawrence's blindside protected.
With Harrison out of the picture, the next man up is Walker Little. He stepped in at left tackle when Harrison left the Week 5 game. Although he was flagged, he gave up no pressures and no sacks.
Sure, Little will need to cut down on the penalties, but so does the rest of the team, as Jacksonville was flagged a concerning 13 times during the win against Philly. Circling back to Harrison, the Jags could trade for help. They still have a bit of time before the 2026 deadline.
However, there may not be many appealing options out there, so Jacksonville will most likely lean on Little. This is the most likely scenario when you take into account that the Jags could have released him or traded him during the offseason but opted not despite the fact that they would have freed up over $10 million in space.
One big reason is that Little gave the Jaguars insurance while Cole Van Lanen recovered from a knee injury he suffered late in 2025. With Harrison out for the foreseeable future, holding onto him will come in handy.
You may also like: Biggest winners and losers from the nerve-wrecking win vs. the Eagles
Walker Little will tentatively be the next man up for the Jaguars
Little was a second-round pick in 2021. He was the starting left tackle to start 2025 but was benched in favor of Cole Van Lanen at the midpoint of the regular season. But despite his struggles, the former Stanford Cardinal has ample starting experience.
Keep in mind that Van Lanen switched to the right side in the offseason to pave the way for Harrison at left tackle. Perhaps Jacksonville could move Van Lanen back to left tackle and plug Little in on the right side.
Ideally, Anton Harrison will be back at some point of the season, but if not, the Jaguars will have the brace for the worst. The silver lining is that they have two capable offensive linemen to hold the fort during his absence. Sure, they won't be able to truly replace him, but they will at least help soften the blow.
Add us as a preferred source on Google