The Jacksonville Jaguars are dealing with a handful of injuries ahead of the Week 17 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Just a few days before the divisional bout, they placed Jourdan Lewis on Injured Reserve with a foot injury.
Aside from Lewis, the Jags have already ruled out a starting offensive lineman, and another one is trending toward missing the Colts game.
The Jaguars rule out Patrick Mekari, but Robert Hainsey is questionable vs. the Colts
In the final injury report for Week 17, the Jaguars ruled out defensive end Danny Striggow (knee), right guard Patrick Mekari (back), and edge rusher Jalen McLeod (ankle). Meanwhile, center Robert Hainsey (groin) and running back Bhayshul Tuten (finger) got the questionable designation.
#JAXvsIND Status Report pic.twitter.com/iApfGICMaH
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 26, 2025
Striggow and Mekari missed practice the whole week, so it wasn't particularly surprising to find out that they won't be available for the Colts. Hainsey did individual work on the sidelines Friday, according to Ryan O'Hallaran of The Florida Times-Union, and could suit up. That said, the coaching staff may not want to rush him back, and if he isn't good to go, they could plug rookie Jonah Monhaim at center.
Monhaim has seen time at both guard and center this season. Liam Coen has been pleased with his progress and is positive that he will come through if called upon. Then again, it's not a given that he'll get the starting nod.
On the other hand, there's a strong chance Little will fill in for Mekari at right guard. He replaced him in the trenches in Week 16 and fared relatively well.
Tuten suffered a finger injury in Week 15. The team announced not long after that he would miss the rest of the season, so it would be a bit shocking to see him play against the Colts. McLeod will have to wait until the season finale to make his NFL debut. The Jags opened his 21-day window to practice but haven't activated him from Injured Reserve.
The Jaguars have a favorable matchup in the trenches even without Robert Hainsey, and Patrick Mekari
Throughout the offseason, the coaching staff had their hog mollies play different positions in case the injury bug struck. That decision paid off, as the Jaguars are trending toward being without Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey when they face the Colts.
Ideally, the Jags would like to have both Hainsey and Mekari for a matchup with playoff implications. That said, they can afford to hold them out and have them recover with Walker Little and Jonah Monheim in the mix. It helps that Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will miss the game and the remainder of the season. Having said that, cornerback Sauce Gardner is expected to suit up for Indy, so it won't be a total walk in the park.
Ultimately, the Jaguars cannot afford to take their guard off even though they're the favorite in Week 17. The defense needs to stymie Philip Rivers and the Colts offense, while Trevor Lawrence and co. must put as many points on the board as possible until the game gets out of reach.