A brutal double whammy hit Duval on Monday after the Jacksonville Jaguars announced their second season-ending injury heading into Week 9.
Head coach Liam Coen confirmed that safety Eric Murray has been ruled out due to a season-ending elbow injury he sustained on the opening kickoff of Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Jaguars Safety Eric Murray Out for the Season
Murray missed the team’s first defensive series and was quickly listed as questionable with an elbow injury before being ruled out.
This season, Murray has made 14 total tackles and has held opponents to 6.0 yards per catch on only three receptions.
Murray was the second Jaguar to have to sit out the rest of the season in Week 8. The other one is DaVon Hamilton, who suffered a torn quad, which ruled him out for the rest of the season. It makes both of them the next in line after left tackle Anton Harrison to not suit up for the rest of the year. The Jags lost Harrison after a torn ACL in their London game.
The Murray update forces the Jaguars to turn to backups Rayuan Lane and Kaevon Merriweather to replace Murray. Rookie Jalen Huskey is also a candidate in Anthony Campanile’s defense, which often features three players at this position.
But more than that, it forces the Jaguars to consider trading for another reliable safety option.
Jaguars Facing Serious Safety Depth Crisis
Starting S Antonio Johnson missed Week 8 with an ankle issue and is still limited, and third-round rookie Caleb Ransaw is already stashed on injured reserve. That’s why bringing in another safety via trade makes much more sense, especially with the deadline closing in soon.
Jacksonville was already shifting from sellers to buyers ahead of the trade deadline. Replacing DaVon Hamilton’s muscle up front was the immediate priority.
Now, Murray’s injury forces general manager James Gladstone to go shopping for a safety, too. While they already signed Austin Johnson to the practice squad as emergency depth at defensive tackle, they have no other answers for special teams.
If they don’t find a free agent, spending draft capital might be their only option.
All of this makes Antonio Johnson’s return that much more urgent. Coen says he will “hopefully” have a better feel on Tuesday if Johnson can return to practice, via the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran.
The Jaguars might have no choice but to rush him back from his ankle injury for Week 9, especially with practically zero time to prepare on a short-week Thursday night turn against the Ravens.
Jaguars Confirm Second Season-Ending Injury Ahead of Week 9 Ravens Clash