The Jacksonville Jaguars were dealing with injuries on the offensive line during the preseason, so nobody would have batted an eye if they had carried 10 hog mollies on the roster next season. However, they only kept nine, and Chuma Edoga was a victim of the numbers game.
The Jags just announced their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season. Edoga was nowhere to be seen. Mia O'Brien of Action News Jax reports that Jacksonville released him, so it may be a matter of time before the team announces the move. It hasn't as of this writing.
Knowing that, it was still a bit surprising to see the Jags release Edoga. Then again, that may be a sign that Cole Van Lanen is trending toward returning for the season opener against the Cleveland Browns.
Why the Jaguars released Chuma Edoga
The Jaguars signed Chuma Edoga to a two-year deal worth $7 million in 2025. They didn't bring him in to start but to provide depth on the offensive line. However, he flashed in the offseason program and even began to split reps with Anton Harrison at right tackle.
Edoga kept building his stock in the preseason but struggled once the regular season began. Specifically, he struggled with penalties, getting flagged a concerning five times on just 98 offensive snaps. By the end of the year, the Powder Springs, Georgia native had become an afterthought. This made him a cut candidate early in 2026.
However, Edoga got a lifeline in light of all the injuries in the preseason. Heck, he only played one snap in three games. The fact that the team had sidelined him was a sign that he could stick around next season.
Ultimately, though, Edoga didn't do enough to crack the team. He was set to count $3.9 million against the cap next season. By releasing him, Jacksonville freed up $2.9 million in space with $1 million in dead money.
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Releasing Chuma Edoga may be a sign the Jaguars expect Cole Van Lanen back
Of course, it would have made sense to keep Chuma Edoga as insurance. But by cutting ties with him, the Jaguars are showing that they're getting healthy in the offensive trenches. Walker Little, Emmanuel Pregnon, and Edoga himself dealt with injuries in training camp. The biggest one, though, was Cole Van Lanen.
Lanen supplanted Little as the left tackle last year. However, he suffered a knee injury late in the season. The former Wisconsin Badger then spent the offseason recovering from the injury, which was rumored to be a torn ACL. Although he was projected to return for training camp, he missed several practices and mainly did individual drills once he was cleared to return.
Still, the fact that Jacksonville is moving on from Edoga is a sign that Van Lanen will return sooner rather than later. Heck, even if he's not ready for the season opener, Little could fill in for him at right tackle.
Now, it's never good to see a player get released. It isn't any different with Chuma Edoga. But his departure paves the way for Cole Van Lanen to go back in the fold.
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