Quincy Williams' Rookie Season Ends Wednesday After Being Placed on IR

The third-round rookie linebacker has been put on IR with a hand injury.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the fourth time in three weeks, Jacksonville has placed a linebacker on injured reserve after the team announced rookie linebacker Quincy Williams would be placed on injured reserve with a hand injury, ending his rookie season.

Williams, a third-round selection (98th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft, played 11 games this season and started eight of those. Williams had a rough transition to the NFL after not playing linebacker at Murray State, twice being removed from the lineup for a veteran backup linebacker. 

Williams totaled 47 tackles and two tackles for loss in his rookie season. To take Williams' place on the active roster, Jacksonville claimed sixth-year linebacker Preston Brown, who was waived by the Oakland Raiders earlier this week. 

"Brown, 6-1, 251, joins the Jaguars after previously spending time with the Raiders, Bengals and Bills. He was originally selected in the third round (71st overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by Buffalo and spent his first four seasons with the Bills, playing the 2014 season under Head Coach Doug Marrone," the Jaguars said in a release. "Brown has appeared in 81 games with 77 starts and has totaled 599 tackles (342 solo), 14 passes defensed, five fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles."

Williams is the fourth Jaguars' linebacker to be placed on injured reserve in the last three weeks. Najee Goode (knee), Myles Jack (knee), and Jake Ryan (hamstring) had their seasons ended as well in the last few weeks. 

This leaves Jacksonville's linebacker group a shell of what it was to start the season. As of now, Jacksonville has the current players on its active roster to play linebacker.

• Third-year veteran Donald Payne, who was signed to the team in Week 8.
• Rookie undrafted free agent Joe Giles-Harris.
• Career special team player Austin Calitro.
• Brown, who was just waived by a poor Raiders defense.
• Leon Jacobs, who has only ever played strongside linebacker.

To say Jacksonville's linebacker group is poor right now would be a massive understatement. They have struggled even with a healthy group, and now they have to play with a bunch of assorted pieces.