Jaguars Place LB Leon Jacobs On Active/PUP List
The Jacksonville Jaguars have placed linebacker Leon Jacobs on the Active/Physically Unable To Perform list, the team announced on Friday. The move came amidst a slew of roster changes due to injuries and positive COVID tests.
Jacobs is heading into his fourth year with the Jags, after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He had become a sometimes starter, starting at SAM for 12 of his 29 career games. He was poised to help anchor middle linebacker Joe Schobert and WILL linebacker Myles Jack last season. But in the Week 3 game against the Miami Dolphins, Jacobs suffered a season ending knee injury.
Since then, he’s been somewhat of a ghost, limited to injury updates from former head coach Doug Marrone. Current head coach Urban Meyer was asked about Jacobs during minicamp, but remained vague on his projected place with the team this fall.
“It’s a three-four, he’s an outside linebacker,” Meyer told reporters on June 14. “So, he’s still a linebacker but it’s a little bit [of a] different position. But it’s Lerentee [McCray]and K’Lavon [Chaisson] it’s that position. So, it’s really a SAM linebacker that also rushes. So, it’s a three-four versus four-three.”
Chaisson played more defensive end in his 2020 rookie season, albeit as a hybrid linebacker. But with a new defense being implemented under new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen, positions will need to be tweaked. Seemingly this is why Meyer alluded to the fact Chaisson will play more SAM linebacker, along with veteran Lerentee McCray. There has been little to nothing said—other then aforementioned Meyer quote—as to what this will mean for Leon Jacobs and his place on the Jaguars defense.
Jacobs, a Wisconsin grad who once played with current teammate Joe Schobert for the Badgers, has accumulated 65 tackles, two sacks and a safety in his 29 games with the Jaguars. With a changing defense, Jacobs will look to make a quick return to training camp, where he can prove to coaches he fits in to this new scheme.
The PUP list indicates Jacobs suffered a football related injury during the offseason and can not physically perform during training camp. He will be allowed to attend team meetings, film sessions, etc. He can come off during training camp as soon as medically cleared. If he’s still on the PUP list once the regular season begins, he must remain there for at least six weeks.
The Jaguars are set to welcome veterans to training camp next Tuesday, July 27. Rookies have already been in attendance since this past Tuesday.
