Jaguars Need This Key Player Back as Soon as Possible

The Jacksonville Jaguars were fortunate to be relatively healthy through the first few weeks of the 2025 NFL season, but their luck is starting to run out.

Oct 12, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on during warm ups before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars were able to avoid the injury bug for the most part in the early 2025 NFL season. That was a big part of why they were able to start 4-1 in their first year under Head Coach Liam Coen. However, that changed going into their Week 6 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

Travon Walker was able to return a little under two weeks after undergoing wrist surgery, but he was still severely limited, and the Jaguars struggled to generate pressure without him. Center Robert Hainsey hurt his hamstring during Monday Night Football's win over the Kansas City Chiefs and sat out against Seattle. His presence was sorely missed, as Trevor Lawrence endured the most pressure he's faced this season versus the Seahawks, taking a career-high seven sacks as a result.

Hainsey wasn't the only absence that negatively impacted the Jaguars' protection, though. Like the center, tight end Brenton Strange also went down against the Chiefs, only his injury was much more significant. He was placed on IR, meaning that he'll be out until at least the November 16 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) gets to his feet during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When will Jaguars get Brenton Strange back?

Through the first four games of the 2025 NFL season, Brenton Strange had emerged as one of the most underrated weapons for the Jacksonville Jaguars' offense. In his new role as the TE1, he became a dependable receiver for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, racking up 19 catches on 23 targets for 182 yards through Week 4.

However, he might have been even more impactful as a blocker. His ability to help along the offensive line and get into the second level to clear the way for Travis Etienne Jr. and the other Jaguars running backs made Jacksonville's attack exponentially more dangerous. His presence was sorely missed in their loss to the Seattle Seahawks, in which they rushed for just 59 yards on 19 carries.

Clearly, the Jaguars would like to have Strange back in the lineup as soon as possible. Head Coach Liam Coen was asked if he'll be back sometime this season:

"Oh yeah. Yeah. I do."

Brenton Strange is a real-deal weapon in the passing game. Add what he does as a blocker and there is a good argument to make that he is one of the offense's most important players pic.twitter.com/4Kj0rrog5N

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) September 22, 2025

A follow-up question was raised over whether he'll return as soon as his four-game IR furlough is up:

"That's really going to be week to week. Hopefully, the bye gets us a little bit of a jump on that, so he doesn't miss as many games. We're hopeful that after that, but it's definitely up in the air. It could be longer than after the bye.”

Not to correct the coach, but it'll definitely be after the bye, as the Jaguars get Week 9 off after their London clash with the Los Angeles Rams. Strange won't be eligible to return until Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, it's probably good news that Coen is even considering that he could be healthy enough to play around the bye week.

Follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley to get all our updates on Brenton Strange this year.

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