The Jaguars got through the first two days of training camp mostly clean, but Jack Kiser’s knee injury has already changed the shape of the linebacker competition.
Kiser, a second-year linebacker and a fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame, went down early in team drills on the opening day of camp Wednesday. By Thursday, the update was more encouraging than it could have been: he’s week-to-week. That keeps the door open for a return, even if it also means he’ll miss valuable time in a room that already had plenty to sort out.
That matters because the Jaguars’ linebacker group is young and still very much up for grabs. Devin Lloyd is no longer in the mix, and that leaves opportunities behind him for players like Kiser, Jalen McLeod, Branson Combs and rookie Parker Hughes. Kiser was in position to spend the next few weeks making his case for a larger role, and now those reps are gone.
He wasn’t necessarily expected to jump Ventrell Miller for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun, but this is the part of the calendar when the Jaguars hand out chances. Kiser losing time now means he’s missing what might have been his best opening to stack practice reps before Week 1.
Still, the fact that the injury is being treated as week-to-week instead of something far worse is a relief. It also leaves open the possibility that his recovery will help determine how the first 53-man roster takes shape.
For now, the Jaguars will lean more heavily on Combs and Hughes. Combs is already getting important work in Anthony Campanile’s defense while competing with Miller for the starting spot, and that battle already sounds close. Without Kiser available, Combs becomes the top backup linebacker if he doesn’t win the job outright.
“I think, first and foremost, his athleticism. His ability to defend the pass.
If you think about, like, how much teams are trying to expose linebackers in coverage. Obviously, we saw what Devin [Lloyd] was able to do for us in coverage a lot last year in terms of zone and vision and be able to create some turnovers with vision on the quarterback.
I think Branson innately does that," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Wednesday.
Hughes, meanwhile, gets a clearer path to more linebacker snaps in camp. Entering training camp, it looked like four veterans ahead of him would make those opportunities hard to come by. Kiser’s injury changes that, and it means the Jaguars will need to see more from Hughes on the practice field.
In Other News...
Jaguars First 53-Man Projection Already Includes A Few Tough Calls
Before the Jaguars take the field for their first training camp practice, the early 53-man projection already shows how much of the roster is still in motion. The exercise leans on offseason performance and the usual roster trends, but it also makes clear that several position groups are going to be decided by how players hold up once the pads come on, from the offensive line to the secondary.
A few of the calls are straightforward on paper and still feel anything but settled in practice. There are real battles at linebacker, where the spot next to Foye Oluokun remains open, and at cornerback, where recent playing time and strong offseason work have pushed some names into the conversation. Even tight end has a squeeze coming, with special teams value and blocking ability shaping the debate, while the line groups leave just enough room for one more player to force his way into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Liam Coen Just Sparked A New Jaguars Debate About Receiver Help
Liam Coens first summer in Jacksonville has already started to reveal how he wants to shape the offense, and one of the quieter developments came with a familiar name on the receiver market. The Jaguars met with unsigned wideout Zay Jones, giving the new head coach a chance to get a closer look at a player he had not previously met and to see him in person as the team continues sorting through its passing-game options.
It is the kind of visit that can open a broader conversation about whether Jacksonville still needs more help at receiver, especially as Coen settles in and evaluates the roster around Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars also added Zach Banner and Kyle Williams to the staff through the NFLs Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program through the end of training camp, but the bigger question hanging over the offense is whether this latest look at Jones leads anywhere beyond a simple meeting. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Fans Were Stunned To See Travis Hunter At Emergency Scene
Jacksonville Fire Rescue crews made an unusual discovery at a call scene last week when they encountered Travis Hunter already there, alongside Sheriff T.K. Waters and members of the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. The Jaguars star was wearing a police vest, turning what should have been a routine emergency response into a moment that quickly drew attention across the city.
For Jaguars fans, the sight was especially notable because Hunter is still in the middle of his recovery from a right knee injury suffered in October. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft signed a four-year deal with Jacksonville and is expected to be a full participant by training camp, so any public appearance involving him tends to carry extra weight these days. [Read more 🡒]