Why Was Jaguars WR Dede Westbrook Inactive in Week 1?

Throughout all of training camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it appeared the team may be hard-pressed to find a role for fourth-year wide receiver Dede Westbrook, in part due to a shoulder injury he sustained and in part due to a crowded receiver room.

Westbrook missed the majority of the second half of training camp with what head coach Doug Marrone described as a shoulder bruise. During his absence, the Jaguars saw Keelan Cole emerge and earn a starting role in the offense, while rookie receivers Laviska Shenault and Collin Johnson each stood out in big ways in their own rights.

Thus, it wasn't a major shock when the Jaguars announced Sunday that Westbrook would be inactive for the 27-20 Week 1 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Westbrook did not appear on the injury report all week so many theorized it was due to him being a healthy scratch in favor of Johnson.

But on Monday, Marrone said during a media conference that Westbrook simply needs to work to get back onto the field and become available following his injury to see the field,

“I don’t know, I mean, he was hurt for so long, so it’s just getting him back," Marrone said.

"So I don’t think it’s a matter of, ‘Hey here’s a guy who was healthy with training camp and who wasn’t out.’ Here’s a guy that has missed a lot of time, so he’s working hard on the side and he’s working hard in practice, and he’s working his way to get back.”

Jacksonville selected Westbrook in the fourth round (No. 110 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft and he has been one of the main fixtures in the offense since. He played in just seven regular season games as a rookie due to injury, catching 27 passes for 339 and one touchdown.

In 2019, Westbrook was Jacksonville's starting slot receiver but dealt with ups and downs throughout the year in what was a poorly orchestrated offense by ex-coordinator John DeFilippo. Westbrook caught 66 passes for 660 yards and three touchdowns, posting the worst average yards per catch figure (10.0) of his career.

Westbrook has plenty of talent, however, so the Jaguars should be expected to try to find some role for him in Jay Gruden's offense once he is fully healthy. He also has special teams value as a punt and kick returner, which is likely a big reason he made the Jaguars' 53-man roster.