Jaguars' Defense Will Have to Be Ready to Be Without This Playmaker

Barring any major setbacks, the Jacksonville Jaguars will go into their Week 10 interdivisional clash with the Houston Texans with a massive advantage on the injury report. Quarterback C.J. Stroud was ruled out for Sunday's bout after suffering a concussion in his last game against the Denver Broncos. Backup Davis Mills will take over under center in his stead.

Stroud's absence is a huge opportunity that the Jaguars must capitalize on to bolster their chances of making the playoffs and winning the AFC South. A victory this week would also effectively extinguish the Texans' flickering postseason aspirations. A loss would drop Houston to 3-6, a hole likely too deep to dig out of in a surprisingly competitive AFC race.

Unfortunately, Jacksonville has plenty of its own injuries that it has to work through. A week after losing Travis Hunter Jr. and Eric Murray to IR, they've added multiple high-profile names to their report, including Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown, and Hunter Long. However, their most impactful absence against the Texans could be Jourdan Lewis.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Houston Texans, Jourdan Lewis — Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) reacts as he is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What losing Jourdan Lewis means for the Jaguars

Jourdan Lewis exited the Jacksonville Jaguars' overtime win over the Las Vegas Raiders with a neck injury. He hasn't participated in any of the team's Week 10 practices and could be unavailable for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans. This would be a devastating loss for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville signed him in the offseason to be its new nickelback, and he quickly established himself as one of the most solid defenders on the team, as well as a leader for the defense. He currently has a 70.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks 23rd out of 107 eligible corners. Even his injury couldn't keep him from lifting the Jaguars, though, according to Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile:

Jaguars WR Dyami Brown (concussion) full participant in Thursday, which is a good sign he could potentially be able to play Sunday. Not looking as good for WR Brian Thomas Jr., LG Ezra Cleveland, CB Jourdan Lewis, TE Hunter Long. pic.twitter.com/S3S25SGyze
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) November 6, 2025

"Yeah, he's such a savvy vet, too. He just kind of understands everything, and he's done a great job of trying to prepare the guys behind him throughout the whole year. I think his relationship with Jarrian [Jones] is pretty cool to see. He's always there, they're always kind of working together, talking ball together. Christian Braswell, same way. So, he's done a great job, and in the game, the guy gets hurt, I think the first or second play of the game, and he was right behind me the entire game talking to the other guys."

"Like, literally you could hear him, I could hear him talking behind me and communicating some of the stuff that you're talking about getting ready for in the game plan during the week, and he's behind you saying it. So, he didn't step away totally from the game when he went down, as bad as he felt. So, I have so much respect for him, love coaching him, and it's awesome to have a guy like that, though. Like, for our team, it's awesome for all the other players, especially in that room, to have that dude."

Hopefully, the Jaguars will have Lewis back on the field, leading from the slot against the Texans. If he's unavailable, though, they can still count on him to make an impact from the sideline.

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