Jaguars fans should not fret over latest Arik Armstead injury update

The last thing you want to hear before teams start training camp is to hear that a player either suffered an injury or landed on the Physically Unable to Perform list. That's why at first sight, fans may not be thrilled to find out that the Jacksonville Jaguars placed defensive tackle Arik Armstead on the PUP list. However, this shouldn't be a reason for concern.

The Jags announced on social media that they've placed Armstead on the PUP list days before training camp is set to start. While it's never good news to hear that a player isn't practicing, this isn't recent news. The defensive tackle underwent meniscus surgery in the offseason and was slated to return during training camp.

Armstead, the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, played through a meniscus injury last year. He missed time but suited up for the Super Bowl, and even sacked Patrick Mahomes. The year prior, he sat out five games with an ankle fracture.

Having missed 13 contests the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers asked him to take a pay cut in the offseason. He refused and was given the boot. The Jaguars swooped in and gave him a three-year deal worth $42.5 million in free agency.

After undergoing surgery, Armstead said that his knee was fine and he was going to be back in time. At this point, it's hard to tell, from an outside perspective, if he's experienced a setback but he's still within the time frame he provided to return. If anything, the Jags are keeping him away so that he can fully recover from surgery.

Why fans should worry (yet) about Jaguars DT Arik Armstead landing on the PUP list

Players who land on the Physically Unable to Perform and non-football injury list before training camp can come back at any time. This means that Arik Armstead's absence may not be long. If the Jacksonville Jaguars had placed him on PUP after roster cutdown day (early September), he would have missed at least four games but that wasn't the case.

Of course, the Jaguars would love to have Armstead for the beginning of training camp. Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is installing a new scheme and having him around would be huge. Having said that, the former Oregon Duck is a grizzled veteran and should have no trouble getting up to speed once he joins the team.

In Jacksonville, Armstead is expected to join a defensive front that includes Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. With him in the middle, opposing teams won't be able to deploy double teams on the edges, which should in turn provide more favorable matchups for the Jaguars' bookend pass rushers.

Ideally, Armstead would open training camp, but he underwent surgery in the offseason. The Jaguars don't gain much and could instead hurt themselves if they rushed their recovery. That's why placing him on the PUP list and letting him get back to full strength is the best course of action.

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