Former Florida Gators, Current Jaguars LB Suffers Season-Ending Injury
The Jacksonville Jaguars will place former Florida Gators linebacker Ventrell Miller on injured reserve following an Achilles injury he suffered final preseason game, head coach Doug Pederson shared on Monday.
Miller will miss the entirety of his rookie season as a result.
"Unfortunately, it's an Achilles [injury]," Pederson told reporters about Miller. "That's a season-ending injury there. He'll be missed."
The Lakeland, Fla., native emerged as a legitimate contributor to the Gators' defense in the 2019 season with a six-tackle, two-sack performance against the Miami Hurricanes in week one. He maintained that level of impact through the completion of 2020.
In 2021, Miller was sidelined after just two games due to a torn bicep.
He returned in 2022, looking to produce a bounce-back campaign in order to boost his draft stock as his collegiate eligibility was set to run out. He did just that as he proved to be an effective downhill linebacker with underrated speed in pursuit and a knack for executing run fits.
Despite suffering a Jones fracture in his foot during the Gators' week two contest against Kentucky, Miller maintained his uber-productive status to total 75 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two pass breakups as a sixth-year senior.
He underwent surgery to repair the injury during the draft process.
However, his potential caught the eye of Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke — who hasn't shied away from players with injury history during his career as a general manager. It was enough for the 24-year-old to remain in the Sunshine State as he jumped to the professional level with Baalke taking a swing on him at pick 121.
The former Florida standout returned to the field this fall to compete for the backup MIKE position with Chad Muma and Shaquille Quarterman behind incumbent starter Foye Oluokun.
Miller began to prove his worth in the preseason, culminating in his performance in the Jaguars preseason finale. Pro Football Focus graded him as the third-highest linebacker during the week, accounting for a team-high five tackles and one quarterback hit on Saturday against the Dolphins.
He will now begin the rehabilitation process to ready himself for his second year in the NFL.
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