Doug Pederson Provides Positive Update on Jaguars DL DaVon Hamilton

The veteran defensive tackle could be back to form in 2024.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton (52) takes to the field before a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Las Vegas Raiders 27-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki 110622 Raiders Jags Cp 107 / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

The return of stalwart defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton is one of the most important of the Jacksonville Jaguars' entire season. After a lost 2023, Hamilton is on track to rebound in the middle of Ryan Nielsen's defense.

Hamilton, who the Jaguars signed a three-year, $34.5 million deal with $20 million in guarantees last April, has been a building block for the Jaguars' defense over three coaching staffs. This led to a career year in 2022, but Hamilton then landed on the Reserve/Injured list on Aug. 31 with what was called a "non-football medical ailment involving his back."

As Jaguars.com senior writer John Oehser wrote in December, "Hamilton in a very real sense is pleased to be playing in any circumstance. He developed a spinal abscess during the preseason, major infection that kept him out the first seven games of the season – and one he said could have threatened his ability to play long-term."

Hamilton played in just eight games as a result, starting two. After what was a lost year for many Jaguars, Hamilton is now looking to put 2023 behind him.

“Much different, more like 22 than like 23 with him. The old DaVon is back and he's got great energy through phase one and two," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Monday ahead of the start of OTAs.

"He's excited to be back on the field, I think he's excited for his health as well. We all know that was a scary deal that he went through. But he's really worked hard to put himself in this position and just looking forward to great things and for him to get back to his old self he was a couple of years ago."

Speaking with 1010 XL's Mia O'Brien on Monday, Hamilton said he lost 20 pounds after surgery.

"I'm right back where I was before I got hurt. 320 right now," Hamilton said.

"I knew something was off. I was not my normal self. And I started to get a little weird feeling. And after that I just couldn't operate or move the way I wanted to, so that is how I kind of knew something was up."

"I felt tired, fatigued. I knew something was off."

For the first time on-camera, #Jaguars DT DaVon Hamilton discusses the spinal abscess that hampered his 2023 season

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“It's great. For me, it's great to just see him out there and smiling and being around his teammates," Pederson said on Monday.

"He's one of those great leaders in that room, but I think more so on the team as well. He's a guy that doesn't say a whole lot but he does it more through example and how he works. That's what's good to see right now with him back on the field."