Jaguar Report

Jaguars' CJ Henderson Returns to Practice Field For First Time During Camp

Jacksonville Jaguars second year corner CJ Henderson participated in practice for the first time this offseason on Saturday. The first round pick has been out of the game for eight-and-a-half months with injuries and a stint on the COVID-19 list. Does he have time to earn his starting role back?
Kassidy Hill|
Jaguars' CJ Henderson Returns to Practice Field For First Time During Camp
Jaguars' CJ Henderson Returns to Practice Field For First Time During Camp

The Jacksonville Jaguars secondary received a major boost on Saturday as corner CJ Henderson returned to the practice field. It’s the first time the former first round pick has participated in any major activity on the field, much less training camp practice.

Henderson, who the Jaguars selected No. 9 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, was placed on injured reserve following Week 10 last season, with a groin injury. He didn’t return for any more games on the schedule. He spent the first part of the offseason rehabbing, which limited him during OTA’s and minicamp practices, although he did participate in some capacity.

As the Jaguars were preparing to kick-off training camp, the club placed Henderson on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is designated for those who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or been deemed a close contact of a positive case. While other Jaguars players this offseason have tested off of the list fairly quickly, Henderson remained as a reserve until Friday, August 6, when he was officially activated back to the roster.

The second-year corner was seen at practice on Tuesday, working out on the sidelines. Wednesday, he was spotted again, working on the stationary bike. This is part of the acclimation period players must go through as they prepare to come off of the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

“I think it’s been November, October since the last time he played and I had no idea. Really talented guy — good guy. It’s almost like okay he is back—COVID- 19. And then okay he is back—three-day acclimation,” lamented Head Coach Urban Meyer on Wednesday, before adding he expected Henderson back on Thursday or Friday at the time.

However, Henderson was not seen at practice on Friday. Saturday though saw him not only return to the field but to drills as well. He participated throughout practice including in team drills.

Henderson made an immediate impact on the field as a rookie last season. His first game—the Jaguars lone win of the 2020 season—Henderson intercepted Philip Rivers. Later on, he made the game-winning pass break-up. In Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers, he chased down Davante Adams to force a fumble.

Henderson started all eight games in which he appeared, accumulating six total pass-breakups and 36 total tackles, along with the interception and forced fumble.

His status seemed to come into question however, when the Jaguars used the first pick of the second round—No. 33 overall—on Georgia Bulldog corner Tyson Campbell. And this came after signing coveted and free agent Shaquill Griffin and resigning free agent Sidney Jones. Head Coach Urban Meyer has expressed an interest in Campbell playing at nickel corner, but his background as an outside corner does put Henderson’s role somewhat into flux.

When Campbell was drafted, Meyer was asked pointedly if Henderson was still expected to be the starter at outside corner. The coach simply responded, “Yes.”

The next day, Meyer was pressed again, if Campbell was an insurance policy for Henderson.

“No, I wouldn’t say insurance policy,” he explained at the time. “It’s an insurance policy in the fact that guys get dinged up at that position. Last year was a tough year for us; we had a lot of injuries back there. The thing Tyson Campbell gave is flexibility at something other — he was a safety in high school and he’s a very physical player, great blitzer. Those are all qualities of the nickel. They’re very hard to find. I go back to Florida days, a Will Hill or an Ahmad Black, but they’re hard to find, the guys that can go inside and outside, and that’s the reason when we saw him sitting there — I didn’t know he’d make it there — we were worried he’d be gone before then.”

Thus far in training camp and practice, Campbell has impressed. He has worked at nickel corner some, along with Tre Herndon. Outside, more and more reps have gone to Griffin and Jones, who are working like they will be the starting duo. Jones has had multiple interceptions during team drills and Griffin is tenacious and handsy, breaking up passes thrown his way.

This secondary has had OTA’s, minicamp and now two weeks of training camp to develop a chemistry on the field. And while Henderson has continued to participate in off-field training and meetings, there will be a chasm admitted Defensive Coordinator Joe Cullen on Friday.

“You know he had the shoulder, he had COVID, so I mean it’s acclimation time so it’s going to take a while. Mentally, he is in all the meetings and like anybody when you come out on the field, it’s a process and the rookies have had three weeks so it will be a process.”

It should be noted, Cullen’s new scheme does closely resemble what Henderson ran in college with the Florida Gators. But as to how soon Henderson can catch up—taking what he’s learned about a new defense from the meeting room to the field—remains to be seen.

The Jaguars have a scrimmage on Sunday and then the first pre-season game next Saturday, August 14, with the season just a little over a month away. It's a short amount of time for Henderson to do eight-and-a-half months of work, but the bookends to the week are a chance for him to begin showing this new staff what he can bring to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“He has been gone a while,” noted Meyer, “[but] he is in the ninth pick overall and really talented.” 

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Kassidy Hill
KASSIDY HILL

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