How Invaluable is Return of Jaguars Star Defender?

The Jacksonville Jaguars received positive news on Wednesday morning as one of the team's top defensive players will return to help a struggling defense that has been plagued with injuries.

Dec 31, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars corner back Tyson Campbell (32) tackles Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (15) during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have received good news as one of its top defensive secondary players has been scheduled to return to action and will be a major help for a Jaguars defense that is ranked third-worst in the NFL in opponent points per game (28.6).

Fourth-year cornerback Tyson Campbell is set to return off Injured Reserve and designated for Return List. He should be back on the field in the next one to three weeks.

The #Jaguars have designated standout CB Tyson Campbell to return off Injured Reserve, opening his practice window.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 9, 2024

The Jaguars have opened Campbells' 21-day practice window to return from Injured Reserve. This means he will have a three-week timeframe to practice with the team without counting against the active roster. If he is healthy enough, he will rejoin the active roster as soon as possible.

Back in July of this year, Campbell signed a four year, $76.5 million contract extension through 2028, making him the ninth highest-paid cornerback in the league. His value is reflected in the size of the contract and getting back on the field is imperative to the Jaguars' defensive success.

The former Georgia Bulldog has had his fair share of injuries issues over the past few seasons, specifically from the hamstring area.

He missed six games in 2023 due to a constant hamstring issue and has been sidelined since Week 1 of this year. Campbell came up hobbled with the same issue after colliding with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on a pass interference call.

Getting Campbell back is very beneficial as the Jaguars have been struggling to keep a lot of their defensive secondary players healthy. Linebacker Foye Oluokun was placed on Injured Reserve almost two weeks ago and safety Andrew Wingard has been out since training camp.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was asked about how injuries from last season have altered his approach entering this year.

“That’s a good question because those are all conversations we’ve had this year," Pederson said. "I think when you look at the history of soft tissue, these things linger. They could be four weeks, they could be six weeks, they could be longer. But we’ve got to take, one, the health of the player and at the same time we’ve got to look at the roster and we’ve got to maximize the number of healthy bodies we can pick from of the 53 to get to 48. We’ve been a little more proactive at this, and I think it eases the player’s mind too with the injury. It doesn’t force him to come back too fast. If he does go on IR, then you know you’ve got at least four weeks there that they can rehab and be 100 percent when they come back.”

Campbell will soon join sixth-year safety, Darnell Savage, in the secondary in a few short weeks. Savage returned from injury last week, missing three-straight games after also being injured against the Dolphins in Week 1.

The pass coverage defense will be much better going forward with those two in the starting lineup.

The Jaguars will travel to London to play the first of two-straight games in the United Kingdom, starting with the Chicago Bears in Week 6. It is unlikely for Campbell to return so soon but Week 7 or 8 could involve the 24-year old making his first appearance since the season opener.

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