Signing EJ Perry is a sign the Jaguars may be without CJ Beathard for a while

Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard suffered a groin injury in Week 2 of the preseason and could miss significant time. The Jacksonville Jaguars still have Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones in the mix but they'd rather err on the side of caution and are adding a familiar face in E.J. Perry ahead of their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

Heading into the season finale, Perry signed the Jags, per his agent Sean Stellato. Several national reporters later confirmed the news. An undrafted free agent in 2022, the Brown product spent his rookie campaign in Jacksonville's practice squad.

Perry was waived early in 2023 and spent time with the Houston Texans before returning to the Jags' practice squad in December. At the time, Lawrence was dealing with a myriad of injuries so it made sense to add insurance at quarterback. However, the team's brass opted not to sign him to a future contract, and he became a free agent in 2024.

In between his stints with the Jags and Houston, Perry spent time with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League.

Following the 20-7 win over the Bucs, head coach Pederson told the local media that Beathard suffered a groin injury but declined to provide further details. He held another press conference a couple days later and ruled out the veteran quarterback and wide receiver Christian Kirk, who's dealing with a calf injury.

Before getting hurt, Beathard was competing with Jones for the backup job behind Lawrence. But even if he had stayed healthy, Jones had performed better in the preseason and seemingly had the inside track to win the battle.

Heading into the game against the Buccaneers, Pederson said that Jones' addition to the quarterback room was good for Beathard, pointing out that both of them embraced the challenge.

Having EJ Perry helps the Jaguars vs. the Falcons in Week 3 of the preseason

You could make the case that signing EJ Perry was unnecessary with Mac Jones and Trevor Lawrence in the fold. However, the coaching staff will surely want to limit their exposure to potential injuries.

Even though Doug Pederson said that he expects the starters to play two quarters, they'll probably pull Lawrence from the game way earlier. And that's the thing, if Jones suffers an injury * knocks on wood * No. 16 would have to go back into the game, and that's probably the last thing the Jaguars want. This scenario doesn't seem highly likely but that doesn't make it any less plausible. In fact, it just happened to the Jags in Week 2 of this year's preseason.

Lawrence didn't suit up for the bout. Jones played the second half and left the game. However, he had to return when C.J. Beathard got hurt. While no injury is ever pleasant, the team's brass was at least able to breathe a sigh of relief because it happened to their third-string quarterback. They will surely want to avoid exposing their $275 million investment (Lawrence) to a similar situation. That's where E.J. Perry comes in.

Perry could enter the game once Lawrence and Jones leave. That could be as early as the third quarter, and if Beathard's injury is more severe than originally thought, Jacksonville could place him on the injured reserve list and sign Perry to the practice squad.

However you look at it, bringing Perry back is a low-risk move that protects the Jacksonville Jaguars in case they suffer injuries behind center. As they attested last year, the backup is one injury away from stepping onto the football field, and they surely want to be ready in case it comes to that in 2024.

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