Jaguars Hit With Worst-Case Scenario at CB Before Week 4's Bout With Bengals

The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing a big test with the Cincinnati Bengals, and they will do it without a few key players.

Sep 13, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (1) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced their inactives for Sunday's Week 4 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and there is some bad news at cornerback.

The Jaguars have been facing injuries at the cornerback position throughout the week, and now they will officially be without a key piece at the position in Montaric Brown, in addition to backup cornerback Christian Braswell.

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) is tackled by. Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (1) during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jaguars Inactives

In addition to Brown and Braswell, the Jaguars will be without the following players during Sunday's battle against the Bengals: wide receiver CJ Williams, safety Jalen Huskey, linebacker Jack Kiser, offensive lineman Daniel Faalele, and defensive end Wesley Williams. Wesley Williams, Huskey, and Faalele have been healthy scratches in each game this season, while Kiser and CJ Williams have been healthy scratches over the last two weeks.

But considering the challenge the Jaguars have on hand with Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Burrow, and Tee Higgins, missing two of the top-five cornerbacks on the roster is not ideal. The Jaguars were always going to have a tough task with slowing down the Bengals' passing attack on the road, but the injuries only erase the already slim margin for error at the position.

The Jaguars will be set to lean on the trio of Travis Hunter, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis, and it would be tough to imagine either Hunter or Jones will be leaving the field very often. The Jaguars did elevate practice squad cornerback Jabbar Muhammad to the active roster Saturday and he could see time on both defense and special teams as a result, but the pressure will be on this room considering the test the Bengals' offense presents.

Jacksonville Jaguars Cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (37) carries the ball during a drill during the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh day of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday August 6, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, goldfish mentality, right? That's what it has to be, though. You know he's a potential Hall of Famer," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said earlier this week about facing Chase.

"And so is he going to make some plays, absolutely. It's just, again, so much of this week, similar to last, is it's about our response. It's about the way that we bounce back and the way that we continue to respond, both collectively as a team and then individually throughout the game. It's like, man, all right, he makes a play. Who cares - all right, let's go. It's about the next one."

The Jaguars will kick off against the Bengals at 1 p.m. in Cincinnati, with both squads 2-1 entering the matchup. A win would make the Jaguars 3-1 for the second year in a row for the first time in franchise history.