Jaguars Set to Be Without Key Starter vs. Texans

Evan Engram will miss his third game in a row with a hamstring injury, which means Brenton Strange will start vs. the Houston Texans.

Nov 26, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Blake Cashman (53) attempts to tackle Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Where is Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram in his hamstring recovery entering Week 4 vs. the Houston Texans?

“He might be right here in Jacksonville," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday.

Engram has been ruled out for Sunday's AFC South contest, which will mark his third missed start this season after 35 consecutive starts as a Jaguar.

Engram injured his hamstring in pre-game warmups ahead of the Jaguars' Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns and has not practiced or played since.

"He's doing well. I doubt he'll be able to make this game. Again, with the hamstring like that, it's just, they're finicky, let's call it that. So, it'd be a long shot," Pederson said.

While Engram will miss another game this Sunday, it does not appear he is a candidate for injured reserve. Perhaps Engram returns in Week 5 vs. the Indianapolis Colts. But for this week, Engram will again have to watch.

“I don't think so. Next week looks promising. But again, it's only been a couple of weeks here," Pederson said.

The Jaguars have been bitten by the injury bug hard in 2024. Engram is the offense's most important missing piece, with the passing game taking a big dip in red-zone efficiency in his absence.

From 2022 to 2023, Engram ranked No. 10 in touchdown catches, No. 4 in receiving yards, No. 2 in receptions, No. 6 in yards per game, and No. 3 in targets among all tight ends.

In 2023, Engram caught 114 passes for 963 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the eighth tight end to ever catch 100 passes or more in the Super Bowl era.

With Engram out of the lineup for another week, the Jaguars are set to lean on second-year tight end Brenton Strange as a starter.

Strange has caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown in Engram's absence, already matching his catch and touchdown total from his rookie year and more than doubling his rookie year yardage.

"Yeah, and I think his ability to run really good routes, he's physical. He's not quite elusive like Engram is, but really he's shown he's definitely capable of handling more, let's say, in the offense," Pederson said about Strange.

"He's done a really good job. Then the blocking aspect of it. We've known that, but that's also part of it, and he's been solid there.”

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