Jaguars Lose Sack Leader Dawuane Smoot for Season
Jaguars defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot will miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles in Jacksonville’s 19–3 win vs. the Jets on Thursday night. Smoot confirmed the news on his Instagram account.
“I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to finish the season on the field alongside my brothers as we fight for a postseason berth, but I’m proud of the work we have done as a team to put ourselves in a position to play meaningful football at this point in the season,” he wrote, via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “I plan to be there for my teammates and support them as we work towards finishing strong.”
The Jaguars drafted Smoot in the third round of the 2017 draft, and the lineman has been a staple on the defense for the past four seasons. Since 2019, Smoot has 22.5 sacks and 99 total tackles, resulting in the two-year contract extension he signed in the 2021 offseason. This year, Smoot is tied with Josh Allen at five sacks for to lead the team.
He is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Losing Smoot is big for a Jaguars team that is still fighting for the AFC South title. Jacksonville plays the Texans and Titans to finish the season, and if they win both games they will clinch a home playoff game for the first time since 2017.
