Jaguars designate TE Dan Arnold to return from injured reserve
Tight end has been a difficult position for Jacksonville to manage this year. The team lost James O’Shaughnessy in Week 2 for the bulk of the season, and it eventually acquired Dan Arnold from Carolina in the C.J. Henderson trade to help make up for it. Arnold has had a very solid season, becoming one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets, but we haven’t had a chance to see the Jags’ tight end group at full strength for very long.
In O’Shaughnessy’s first game back from the injured reserve against the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 28, Arnold left the game with an injury of his own (Grade 2 MCL sprain) and was placed on the injured reserve.
Though the Jags’ season has torpedoed as the team now sits at 2-12, we may at least get to see O’Shaughnessy and Arnold play together, as the team designated the latter to return from the injured reserve on Wednesday.
The @Jaguars have made the following roster moves, the team announced today.
– Signed RB Ryquell Armstead to the active roster off of Green Bay’s practice squad
– Placed TE Dan Arnold on the IR/Designated for Return list— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) December 22, 2021
That opens the door for Arnold to play on Sunday against the New York Jets, if his health allows. Since joining the Jaguars in Week 4, Arnold has started three games and made 28 catches for 324 yards. When adding his stats in the first three games with the Panthers, he is on pace to set a career-high in receiving yards if he plays in the final three games.
Once a player is designated to return from injured reserve, they have three weeks to be activated to the final roster. That said, with three weeks remaining in the regular season, Jags interim Darrell Bevell said the team wanted to make the designation to return for Arnold this week to keep his window to come back open.
“We’re opening up the window today to see where he’s at because there is only three weeks left in the season anyway,” Bevell said Wednesday. “He’s been doing a great job in rehab. He’s working his tail off and really wants to get back and help out. He feels like he can help Trevor [Lawrence], so we’re going to open it up and see what he can start doing.”
It would be a big boost. It really would. He’s a great talent for us and he has a lot of speed. I think it presents a problem to the defense, but we’ll just see how far he can come in the next days.”
There haven’t been many positives the last few weeks for the Jags, but getting Arnold back could provide a nice boost for Lawrence and the passing game, at the least.
