The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ secondary has been an issue this season, but the team is expected to get a notable name back in Week 8. Montaric ‘Buster’ Brown has been out since Week 5 with a hamstring injury, but has practiced in full both days this week. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile discussed the impact of his return.
“Certainly, we add a guy who’s got a lot of experience, who knows our system,” said Campanile.
“It’s good to have him back out there healthy.”
Campanile noted that he has missed a few weeks of practice, but has looked good so far this week. He also noted that the physical presence he brings to the defense will be noted if he does get on the field in Week 8.
“He looks good, and we gain a veteran presence,” said Campanile. “We gain a level of physicality anytime Buster’s out there. I think he’s done a great job for us that way on the line of scrimmage, tackling, being physical. Even in the coverage, an element of everything. So, yeah, that’s what we gained with him in there.”
The Jaguars cornerback room was becoming a notable need as the team heads into the trade deadline.
Jacksonville Jaguars Expect Montaric Brown Back in Week 8
John Shipley of Jaguars OnSI noted that the Jaguars cornerback position was their biggest need heading into their bye week at 4-2.
“With that said, I think the loss to the Texans exposed the cornerback position more than the defensive line,” wrote Shipley.
Shipley noted that one of the big issues for the cornerback room is Travis Hunter. On the surface, Hunter is one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL. However, the team wants to get him involved on offense a bit more in the coming weeks.
That would mean having better depth at cornerback. Even with Hunter out there, the group was exposed. Jarrian Jones struggled in the Jags’ loss to Houston.
Jags Need Help at Cornerback
With Brown back, the team can rotate all three cornerbacks. Jones is a second-year player who is going through ups and downs. They want to limit his snaps but not fully bench him. So, Brown can get some snaps when Hunter needs a break due to playing on offense.
Brown can also get some snaps as he eases the workload of Jones. Then, at times, Jones and Hunter will man the outside. Both of them allow Brown to get on the field, but also not get a significant workload. This was something Jacksonville was experiencing before Brown went down.
Brown started the first three games for the Jaguars in 2026. However, he never played a full snap share. Brown played 74.5% of the snaps in Week 1, and then played 79% of the snaps in Week 2. He got banged up in Week 3 and only played 48% of the snaps.
Then, he missed Week 4 and played six snaps in Week 5 before the team put him down for the Texans game. Now, he is back and could be mixed in as a part-time option.
Jaguars Coach Reveals Plans for Returning Starter