3 Jacksonville Jaguars players who have disappointed the most after 7 games
• Others haven't had much of an impact
• These 3 could do more in what's left of the season
No. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars player who's disappointed this season: Ben Bartch, LG
Left guard was seen as one of the Jacksonville Jaguars' biggest offseason needs but they didn't really address it because they were confident Ben Bartch was going to successfully return from a knee injury he suffered in Week 5 of the 2023 season.
Bartch, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft, spent the offseason rehabbing his knee and started practicing near the beginning of the regular season. The former St. John Johnny managed to return to the lineup for the opener and fared relatively well. However, he struggled the next two games and was benched in favor of veteran Tyler Shatley against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.
It's possible that Bartch came back before he was 100 percent healthy, or maybe he was rusty after not playing for more than eight months. Regardless of the reason, it's telling that the Jags went with journeyman Blake Hance instead of him when Brandon Scherff went down with an ankle injury in Week 5. After all, Bartch started 11 games at right guard in 2021.
Since tumbling down the depth chart, Bartch has not played a single snap on offense and has appeared in just 20 snaps on special teams. This was a contract year for him but he's probably seen his stock drop after underperforming. There won't probably be much demand for his services in 2024 but it wouldn't be shocking to see him bounce back if he's healthy next year.
For the time being, don't expect Ben Bartch to get much playing time in what's left of the season.