Jaguars Star 'A Little Further Away' From Returning

The Jacksonville Jaguars seem likely to be without Evan Engram against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.

Oct 8, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) skips past Buffalo Bills linebacker Dorian Williams (42) during the first half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost a big piece of their offense an hour before Week 2, and it remains to be seen when they will get it back.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson provided another update on tight end Evan Engram's hamstring injury on Thursday, implying that the Jaguars' star pass-catcher is still some time away from returning to the field.

“Evan right now, he's a little bit further away. So, we'll have to take it kind of day-by-day right now with him," Pederson said.

Engram sustained the injury during pre-game warmups ahead of the Jaguars' Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns, leading to the veteran being ruled out shortly before kickoff.

Engram was replaced in the lineup by second-year tight end Brenton Strange, who put forth a career performance with three catches for 65 yards on a career-high six targets.

Engram's status for Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills certainly seems up in the air, which is bad news for a Jaguars offense that is averaging just 15 points per game.

Engram has been one of the biggest pieces of the Jaguars' offense in recent years, but he is also a team captain who has frequently been looked to as an emotional spark plug for the Jaguars' offense.

"Evan is a huge part of our offense, our team. He brings a lot of energy and leadership too," Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said on Thursday.

"Not even talking about just football, but just his mindset and the way he is in the huddle and the sidelines, very intense. So, you're missing a big piece of your offense, but great teams figure out a way to next-man-up, to step up and make the plays, which Brenton did a great job of that."

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.

When he returns, Engram will have a chance to make history. He can become the second tight end in NFL history to reach 40 receptions in each of his first eight seasons, joining Jeremy Shockey, with 39 more receptions.

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