Following the news that Davon Hamilton suffered a quad injury that might have ended his season prematurely, the Jacksonville Jaguars have brought back a familiar face in an attempt to fill the void on the interior defensive line.
One day after the win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, the Jags announced that they're signing defensive tackle Austin Johnson to their practice squad. In a corresponding move, they've released long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer to make room for Johnson.
The news that Jacksonville is releasing Bobenmoyer isn't particularly shocking when you take into account that long snapper Ross Matiscik is back in the fold after sitting out the Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans with a shoulder injury. Given that the team had an open spot on the practice squad, it only made sense to bolster the depth at defensive tackle, and who better than Johnson?
Austin Johnson gives the Jaguars depth amid DaVon Hamilton's injury
This will be Austin Johnson's second stint in Duval. He was a second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2016. After four years in Nashville, Johnson bolted for the New York Giants in 2020. He also spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Jags before the 2025 season began.
During his first stint with Jacksonville, the former Penn State Nittany Lion appeared in 14 games, registering 12 total tackles and one sack. In his second go-round, he won't outright replace Hamilton but will be part of the defensive line rotation.
It's also worth pointing out that the Jaguars can promote him from the practice squad to the active roster as many as three times in a season. After those three times, they'll need to sign him to the active roster if they want to thrust him into action.
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Expect the Jaguars to make more moves aside from signing Austin Johnson
Even before the Jaguars lost DaVon Hamilton, they were looking for help at defensive tackle. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Ham's injury only increased their urgency to bolster the interior defensive line before the 2026 trade deadline.
Daron Payne seemed to be a realistic trade target before he himself landed on IR. Moro Ojomo would be an intriguing pivot, but it doesn't look like the Philadelphia Eagles are open to trading him. That potentially leaves Christian Barmore, Jalen Carter, and Zach Seiler as Jacksonville's best options.
The issue is that acquiring any of them won't come cheap. Aside from having to compensate their respective teams, the Jags will also have to take on their contracts. All three have signed extensions in the past two years.
Then again, Hamilton was the heart and soul of the defense, and the Jags may have no choice but to pay a premium to have a shot at replacing him. While it will be interesting to see what route they take, for the time being, they have Austin Johnson in the mix.
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