Latest Evan Engram's update will get Jaguars fans hyped up for Week 6 game vs. Bears

Doug Pederson is confident that tight end Evan Engram will suit up for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6. Based on a recent report, his optimism isn't misplaced.

Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports broke the news that Engram is planning to play against the Chicago Bears, barring any unforeseen setbacks.

Engram has sat out the last four games after suffering a hamstring injury during warmups ahead of the Week 2 matchup against the Cleveland Browns earlier this season. So far, he's only suited up for the opener and is listed as questionable against the Bears. Based on Pederson's remarks and Schultz's report, the Jaguars should have the former Ole Miss Rebel back in the starting lineup for Week 6. If so, he'll give the offense a massive boost.

Granted, sophomore Brenton Strange has stepped in his absence, catching 10 receptions for 120 yards with two touchdowns. That said, Engram is one of the team's top offensive weapons, reeling in a combined 187 receptions for 1,729 yards with eight touchdowns in 34 games the past two seasons.

Brenton Strange and Evan Engram give the Jaguars a "good problem"

Brenton Strange was underwhelming in his rookie season, catching a measly five passes for 35 yards with one touchdown. You could argue that his lack of playing time was due to Evan Engram's having a banner year, but the truth is that the former Penn State Nittany Lion would've gotten more playing time if he had shown enough in practice. He didn't, which is why he hardly saw the field.

But as underwhelming as he was in 2023, Strange has turned the corner. This presents an interesting conundrum to the team's brass. Do they plug Engram into the lineup the remainder of the season at the expense of his second-year counterpart?

The Jaguars will probably roll with the more experienced Engram in the short term but they'll also look for ways to get Strange involved. Having said that, things can always change. If the sophomore tight end keeps making the most out of his snaps, maybe he'll earn a bigger role even with Engram in the fold.

Another alternative would be to use tight-end sets more often like Pederson did late in his stint as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. At the time, he had a pair of capable tight ends in Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. The duo combined for 156 catches for 1,521 yards with 11 touchdowns in 2019.

Sure, Philly leaned on Ertz and Goedert heavily that year because they lacked a bonafide No. 1 receiver that year — Ashley Jeffery was fourth on the team with 43 receptions. Meanwhile, the Jags have a game-changer in Brian Thomas, but that shouldn't stop them from deploying Engram and Strange more often moving forward.

Last year, Evan Engram talked about the Jacksonville Jaguars having so many weapons that opposing defenses would have to pick their poison. It may have been one year later, but that vision could potentially come to fruition with his return to the lineup and the emergence of Brenton Strange.

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