Jaguars updates the status of key pair of injured players

There are no excuses for the way the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense has played this season. Despite adding an incredibly talented rookie quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, the unit regressed from last year’s 1-15 season. The team didn’t do nearly enough to address that side of the ball this offseason, and that has had a material impact on the quality of play.

But with that being said, it is still fair to point out that this is a unit that has pretty much never been at full strength. It lost first-round pick Travis Etienne to a Lisfranc injury in his foot during the preseason, and top receiver D.J. Chark Jr. suffered a season-ending broken ankle in Week 4.

Things have been tough without those two available, and interim coach Darrell Bevell updated the status of both on Friday, according to First Coast News’ Mia O’Brien.

Etienne had been using a scooter to get around since his surgery, and though he’s not back to running, the fact that he is now walking on his own is progress. Chark is apparently in a similar spot, though based on what O’Brien wrote, it sounds like he’s a bit further along.

The Jags have a big decision to make this offseason regarding Chark, whose rookie contract is set to expire after this season. If they choose to keep him around, they’ll hope he’s able to return by the start of training camp. The same goes for Etienne, who remains mostly an enigma after seeing just two carries for three yards in two preseason appearances.

That was a questionable first-round selection for a team that already had an above-average running back in James Robinson, but it’s clear this team needed more playmakers, and it’s possible that Etienne would have made a difference if he were healthy this season.

Both players are very important to the Jags’ plans moving forward, and they definitely look to re-sign Chark because receiver is already a need even if he comes back. We’ll continue to monitor their recovery process as we get into the offseason.