The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting reinforcements for the season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers dealt with injuries in the preseason but should be ready to roll for the season opener. On the other hand, the Jags may not be as fortunate with running back LeQuint Allen Jr.
Allen suffered a soft tissue injury in training camp that forced him to miss several practices. Head coach Liam Coen just provided an update that doesn't bode well for his Week 1 availability.
The Jaguars may not have LeQuint Allen Jr. for Week 1 vs. the Browns
Liam Coen met with local reporters a few days after the roster cutdown deadline. He stated that he isn't sure whether LeQuint Allen Jr. will be good to go in the season opener, adding that he will be "pleasantly surprised" if he is.
And then LeQuint, look, we definitely miss the presence for sure," Coen told the local media (16:02 mark). "I mean, the physicality, the edge, the toughness, all that stuff. I'd be pleasantly surprised if he was ready to go, but I know that this guy has attacked it, as you guys would probably imagine, just attacked it in the right way."
Later in the exchange, Coen stated that he's confident that the rest of the running back room can pick up the slack in case Allen is unavailable.
"I think that the backs have done a nice job of, like, 'Okay, LeQuint, we know he has been our third-down back pass protector. Who's going to fill that void and be able to do some of those things?' I think all of them have been working at. I think C-Rod's done a great job in pass protection specifically, and then Ameer, I think he can help us in some of the pass game and things that we wanted to excuse me to do with LeQuint as we go. I think he can kind of help fill that void as well," Coen said.
Allen is the team's best pass protector and a good pass-catcher out of the backfield. He's expected to have a bigger role on offense next season, even though Chris Rodriguez and Bhayshul Tuten will be the top two options in the Jacksonville backfield.
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The Jaguars have options to replace LeQuint Allen Jr.
Ideally, the Jaguars will have LeQuint Allen Jr. against the Cleveland Browns. But that's unlikely to happen based on Liam Coen's latest remarks. The silver lining is that Jacksonville can withstand his absence due to the presence of veteran Ameer Abdullah.
Abdullah signed with the Jags after the 2026 NFL Draft. Although he appeared to be not much more than a depth signing, the veteran running back made a strong impression in the preseason. In particular, he broke off a couple big runs against the Carolina Panthers, showing that he still has plenty gas in the tank.
Like Allen, Abdullah excels in pass protection and is a superb pass-catcher. Even though he won't get a prominent role on offense, he'll still contribute on passing downs. That should be more than enough to hold the fort for as long as Allen isn't good to go.
The Jaguars would love to have LeQuint Allen Jr. for the season opener, but they're better off not rushing him back. Having Ameer Abdullah in the mix will certainly help them achieve that.
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