Jaguars Injury Update: Laviska Shenault Ruled Out, Brandon Linder Questionable
The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7) will be missing a number of players when they meet the Green Bay Packers (6-2) on Sunday -- including a star rookie.
The visiting Jaguars have ruled five players out of the game and ruled another two questionable. Among the players who have been ruled out are second-round wide receiver Laviska Shenault (hamstring), linebacker Dakota Allen (ankle), quarterback Gardner Minshew II (thumb), defensive tackle Doug Costin (concussion) and running back Devine Ozigbo (hamstring).
Along with those five, the Jaguars have two starters ruled questionable in strong safety Josh Jones (chest) and center Brandon Linder (back).
Shenault, the No. 42 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has been one of the team's top offensive players through the first half of the season. He was injured in Week 9 against the Houston Texans, leaving after 10 snaps due to a hamstring injury. He practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday and Thursday.
Veteran wide receiver Chris Conley will step into Shenault's role as the outside receiver opposite of DJ Chark. Conley played 71% of the offensive snaps against Houston due to Shenault's injury. Conley is the team's most veteran receiver and has been the first player to step up whenever one of the three starting wideouts has missed time.
"He is someone that has played and had production. I never have a problem with the ball going to Chris. He is good after the catch, he does everything well," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said Friday.
"So, we are fortunate. I mean, those guys have been playing and now it is just a matter of the reps kind of changing for what is going on. But it is not like we are putting someone in there that we haven't seen before."
Minshew missed Week 9 with a thumb injury, missing his first game since being drafted in 2019. Rookie quarterback Jake Luton will start in his place for the second consecutive week, and it remains to be seen when Minshew will return.
Costin started at three-technique defensive tackle in Week 9 but left the game with a concussion. The undrafted rookie has impressed this season but will miss the Packers game, meaning Taven Bryan will be back in the starting role.
Linder has played in six games this season, missing Weeks 3 & 4 with a knee injury. He is the team's best offensive lineman and has been considered one of the top centers in the league by most metrics in 2020.
Jones has played 499 snaps this season, the second-most snaps of any Jaguars defender and 90% of all defensive snaps. If he is unable to play against his former team in Week 10, the Jaguars will likely turn to rookie Daniel Thomas to start at strong safety.
"We’ve seen that he’s getting better and better. Once again, he was a rookie obviously when he came in and it’s taking him a while to learn it. There’s a lot stuff going on in the back end and we’ve seen him start to learn and [function] a lot more efficiently in practice," Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash said about Thomas on Thursday.
"And even like we said today, ‘Let’s get him a couple series here and there.’ And he went in and functioned really well. So, we’re going to continue to develop him. Obviously, Josh Jones is our starter, but we’re going to continue to develop him because I think he’s got some play-making ability.”