The Jacksonville Jaguars aren't off to a great start in the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints. They gave up a long kickoff return and allowed a touchdown run just one play later. Compounding the issue is that the Jags lost offensive lineman Chuma Edoga on their first offensive play.
Backup quarterback Nick Mullens handed the football to running back DeeJay Dallas the football. Edoga went down with an injury on the same play. This is a brutal blow when you take into account that Jacksonville was already thin on the offensive line.
As of this writing, Edoga hasn't gone back to the game, but his injury is worth monitoring the rest of the way.
The Jaguars cannot afford to lose Chuma Edoga to injury
The Jags were without Cole Van Lanen and Patrick Mekari to start training camp. Walker Little then suffered an injury and is week-to-week. With all three missing time, sophomores Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monheim have gotten lots of reps at right tackle and right guard, respectively. That probably won't change with Chuma Edoga leaving the preseason opener.
Edoga signed a two-year deal with the Jags in 2025. Although he showed promise in the offseason and training camp, the veteran hog molly left much to be desired once the regular season rolled out. Specifically, he had struggled with penalties, getting flagged five times on just 101 offensive snaps,
By the end of 2025, Edoga was an afterthought. This led to chatter about him being a cut candidate earlier this year. However, he's got a chance to stick around due to all the injuries Jacksonville has sustained upfront.
What's next for the Jaguars after missing Chuma Edoga?
If Chuma Edoga's injury isn't serious, the Jaguars won't have much to worry about. They already signed offensive linemen Geron Christian and Sam Mustipher ahead of the preseason game. Both of them will get an extensive look. The same is true for Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monheim, as they'll get valuable playing time during the preseason.
But if Edoga misses extensive playing time, the Jags could be in trouble. Cole Van Lanen, Walker Little, and Patrick Mekari are expected to return by Week 1 of the regular season, but they could use Edoga if any of them has to miss more time.
At some point, Jacksonville is going to run out of healthy linemen. Similarly, the talent pool is drying out quickly, so they won't be able to bring in additional linemen at some point.
Suddenly, Chuma Edoga has become important, and the Jaguars had better hope he won't miss much time.
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