![Jacksonville Jaguars guard Patrick Mekari (65) gets the fans excited during the second day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Jacksonville. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_219,y_274,w_1501,h_844/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/55/01m1m9jg1g82sfrx49fh.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars guard Patrick Mekari (65) gets the fans excited during the second day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Jacksonville. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
When the Jacksonville Jaguars put together their 53-man roster, they placed right guard Patrick Mekari on the Injured Reserve list to start the season. This wasn't a shocking decision when you take into account that the veteran hog molly had missed most of training camp and the offseason program.
Mekari was dealing with a back injury dating back to 2025, and it was reported that he underwent surgery in mid-August. Understandably, the Jags want him to recover before he's back in the field.
Given that back injuries are notoriously tricky, it's hard to come up with a precise timeline for Mekeri to return. Nevertheless, general manager James Gladstone gave a positive estimate.
The Jaguars are confident Patrick Mekari will return soon after his 4-week stay on IR
James Gladstone met with the local media a few days after the roster cutdown deadline. He discussed the decision to place Patrick Mekari on the Injured Reserve list, noting that he'll be back quickly once he's eligible to return. "I think he'd be quickly there after the threshold for return to get in," Gladstone told reporters.
Players can return from IR after four weeks. Once the four weeks have passed, teams can open a 21-day window to activate the player. If the window expires and the player isn't activated, he'll revert to IR the remainder of the year.
Based on Gladstone's comments, the Jags expect Mekari to return not long after the four weeks, meaning that he could be available for Week 5 or 6.
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The Jaguars can do nothing but wait for Patrick Mekari to recover
Mekari signed a three-year deal worth $37.5 million with the Jags in 2025. He replaced Brandon Scherff at right guard and went on to make 14 stats. However, the former Cal Golden Bear dealt with injuries throughout the season and left a bit to be desired, giving up two sacks and 31 total pressures. Similarly, he posted a Pro Football Focus run grade of 55.1, the lowest of his career.
Even though Patrick Mekari struggled in 2025, the Jaguars expected him to bounce back and compete with Wyatt Milum for the starting job at right tackle. It was fair to assume that the Westlake Village, California native would have no trouble coming out on top if he had stayed healthy, but his back injury held him out. Now, he can do nothing but focus on getting back to 100 percent. Then again, placing him on IR may have been the best course of action.
Mekari wasn't making progress as fast as the team would've liked, so it made no sense to keep him on the roster if he couldn't play at a high level. Sure, he lost his starting job, but if he can get back to full strength, he will be ready to go in case Jacksonville needs him late in 2026.
The Jaguars haven't gotten enough bang for their buck after signing Patrick Mekari last year. Currently, his future beyond 2026 appears to be in doubt, but if he can contribute, his odds of sticking around in Duval will increase substantially.
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