Sorting Out Jaguars' Pre-Week 1 Injury News: What it Means for Brian Thomas Jr.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting closer and closer to Week 1, and we are starting to get more of an idea of who will be on the field when Sept. 13 arrives,

The Jaguars dealt with their fair share of injuries over the course of training camp, but nothing overly serious. Patrick Mekari and Zach Durfee will start the year on the injured reserve/resignated to return list before joining the 53-man roster, while the Jaguars have four players (Jared Bartlett, Garrett DiGiorgio, Parker Hughes, and Sam Mustipher) on the season-ending injured reserve.

Otherwise, the only notable injuries the Jaguars had coming out of camp came down to four key players: wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) and Jakobi Meyers (wrist), offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen (knee), and running back LeQuint Allen.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen provided updates on all four on Wednesday as the Jaguars start preparing for Week 1, and we break down what it all means below.

Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers

Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) warms up during the Jacksonville Jaguars 14th session of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla., Monday, August 17, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' talented pair of receivers each dealt with minor injuries at the end of camp that never seemed overly serious, though it did keep both out of the final days of camp. Meyers sustained a wrist injury before the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, while Thomas had a shoulder injury pop up after catching a touchdown in joint practices against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Thomas was present at the last day of training camp a week ago, going through individual drills in an red non-contact jersey. That alone seemed like a good enough sign that he would be good to go for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, something Coen noted would be the case the day Thomas injured his shoulder.

Both Thomas and Meyers were at practice Wednesday, with neither wearing a non-contact jersey or appearing to have any limitations in the two periods open to the media during individual drills. All signs point to them being ready to roll when the Jaguars take the field in 11 days.

“Yeah, they'll be good. Jakobi should be going today. He went yesterday," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said before Wednesday's practice. "Was limited in terms of catching it a little bit. And then B.T. was full go yesterday. No issues.”

Cole Van Lanen

It remains to be seen if the Jaguars will have veteran offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen active in Week 1, though it does appear he is on a good track toward an earlier return than many may have anticipated. Van Lanen was activated off the Active/PUP list toward the end of camp and began to start taking reps in practice, and Coen has already said how he practices in the lead-up to Week 1 will determine whether he plays vs. the Browns.

If Van Lanen does play, it can be expected for him to be in the starting lineup at right tackle. Or perhaps the Jaguars have Van Lanen serve as the swing tackle at the very start of the season until he is 100%. Either way, his trajectory will impact what the offensive line looks like on the active game day roster. Coen seemed optimistic about his chances ahead of practice.

"I know Cole’s looked good. I know he's looked really good. I know he’s got some confidence," Coen said on Wednesday.

"The preseason game the other night he did one-on-ones against some of the defensive players, and he felt really good doing that. So, I'm hopeful. You always want them to be able to go, but you also have to, all right, it's a long year, a lot of football to play, and make sure that you're putting both the player and our team in the best position."

LeQuint Allen Jr.

One of the most important injuries the Jaguars have been facing over the last few weeks is at the running back spot. Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. get most of the coverage when it comes to the running back rotation, but LeQuint Allen is one of the offense's most important players thanks to his ability to pass-protect.

Allen was set to serve as the Jaguars' top passing down back at the start of the season, but a soft-tissue injury in the middle of training camp sidelined him and has kept him sidelined since. The fact Allen was not placed on IR with a designation to return is a good sign that he will be available within the first month, but Week 1 might be a long-shot.

"LeQuint, look, we definitely miss the presence for sure. I mean, the physicality, the edge, the toughness, all that stuff. I'd be pleasantly surprised if he was ready to go, but I know that this guy has attacked it," Coen said.

lisam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli, left, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, center and Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone walk off the field after an NFL Jaguars practice at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday September 2, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

So, what would that mean for the Jaguars at the running back position? The Jaguars' running back rotation would still be led by Tuten and Rodriguez when it came to the ground game, but Allen not being in the line-up would lead to quite the void on passing downs. Coen addressed that very role on Wednesday, noting that he has been impressed by different parts of Rodriguez's and Ammer Abdullah's traits in the passing game.

"I think that the backs have done a nice job of, like, okay, LeQuint, we know has been our third-down back pass protector. Who's going to fill that void and be able to do some of those things? I think all of them have been working at it," Coen said. "I think C-Rod's [RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.] done a great job in pass protection specifically. And then Ameer, I think, can help us in some of the pass game and things that we wanted to do with LeQuint as we go. I think he can kind of help fill that void as well."

All things considered, it seems like the Jaguars are getting more positive injury news than otherwise ahead of Week 1. The sky may have felt like it was falling at times in training camp, but they are in a good spot right now.

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