The Jaguars are heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Colts short one of their key defensive pieces, and that puts a spotlight on Kaevon Merriweather.
Jacksonville officially ruled Antonio Johnson out for Week 8 because of the ankle injury he suffered in Week 6 in London against the Houston Texans. Johnson did not practice at all this week, showing up as a non-participant in all three sessions.
With Johnson unavailable, Merriweather is the likeliest player to slide into a starting role against Indianapolis. He’s not new to this kind of spot. The fourth-year safety has been a steady presence for a Jaguars defense that has dealt with injuries in the secondary at different points this season, and the staff clearly trusts what he brings.
“Need Kaevon to continue to step up and evolve. But being with him in Tampa, he was a guy that really helped on teams and played his tail off there but was also able to step in and he started, I think, like eight games for us that year in ‘24 at safety. The game wasn't too big for him," Coen said on Friday.
Merriweather’s path to this point has included time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions. He signed with the Jaguars’ practice squad early in September before earning a promotion to the active roster. In Jacksonville, his value has grown quickly, and Sunday could ask for even more from him.
“And then when you went and watched him transition to Houston and then watched him throughout the preseason and the regular season on special teams, you could tell he took on some of the identity and ways in which Houston plays," Coen said. "That physicality, running to the football, burning it down and going and playing your ass off.
That was something that was intriguing for us as well. And I've always just thought the game wasn't ever too big for Kaevon, never really got too high, too low.
And he's done a nice job stepping in for us.”
Anthony Campanile also pointed to Merriweather earlier in the week when asked about the safety spot and Johnson’s possible absence. After what he’s shown against the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, the coaches have reason to feel good about where he is.
“Every game's different and I think we're fortunate where we got a really good room there, and I think Kaevon [Merriweather] has done a good job coming in here as a new guy who's stepped up and given us the opportunity to have another guy that can kind of play some of those roles," Campanile said/
"I think even watching him in the last game, you see some physicality, and I think he's learning everything we're doing. He's worked really hard at it.
I think Perk [Defensive Backs Coach Anthony Perkins] has done a great job with him, getting him up to speed. So, there's some other guys in that room who help us that way.
Like any game, you're always adjusting.”
Johnson’s absence matters. He’s been an important part of Jacksonville’s defense because of what he does against the run and as a blitzer. The Jaguars won’t replace that piece cleanly, but Sunday looks like a chance for Merriweather to take on a major job and handle it well.
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Players such as Payne and Ojomo are the kinds of names that make sense on paper because of their fit and contract situations, but this is still a matter of possibility rather than something concrete. For a Jaguars team trying to strengthen its front, the question is whether the right deal is out there and whether Jacksonville is ready to be aggressive enough to pull it off. [Read more 🡒]