Despite hiring Ryan Nielsen as their new defensive coordinator during the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars defense has been atrocious through their first five games of the 2024 season. The Jaguars’ defense ranks near the bottom in points allowed, yards, yards per offensive play, takeaways, and total first downs. Their pass defense has been the source of their problems since they have given up the 3rd-most completions, the most passing yards, the T-3rd-most passing touchdowns, and the 3rd-most passing first downs.
Not having their star defensive back in the starting rotation doesn’t help.
The Jacksonville Jaguars CB1 has missed their last four games
Tyson Campbell suffered an apparent hamstring injury after being called for pass interference while covering Jaylen Waddle in the fourth quarter of Week 1. Campbell limped off the field and was grabbing his hamstring. He did not return for the rest of the game.
Doug Pederson told the media on Monday (after Week 1) that Campbell will miss some time and is “week-to-week” and didn’t put a specific timetable on his recovery. “I’m not going to put any expectations on it,” Pederson said. “We’re just going to let him go week-to-week and see where he [is].”
However, the Jaguars placed Campbell on injured reserve on Thursday, the week before Week 2, since hamstrings linger and the team is playing it safe. This is also his second consecutive season in which he missed time with a hamstring injury, but this time, he injured his left hamstring.
Four weeks have passed, and he can return to the football field since he missed the required four games.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have opened his practice window
The Jaguars have designated Tyson Campbell for a return, opening his 21-day practice window. Campbell has 21 days to practice with the team before they can activate him on the active roster. If he doesn’t participate in practice in that timeframe or the team chooses not to activate him, he will miss the rest of the season. Doug Pederson explains the process of easing him into practice to ensure he’s healthy and ready to play.
“It allows him, the player, to just kinda work himself back into practice. He has been training and rehabbing and it is different than football movements,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday.
“And it is a way for us as coaches too to monitor that and keep him kind of in a controlled environment. Excited. Looking forward to him getting out there with the guys and see where it goes here in the next couple of weeks.”
As John Shipley of Sports Illustrated points out, Campbell might not return to the action this week but could return in Weeks 7 or 8. “Campbell appears unlikely to return in Week 6 vs. the Chicago Bears, but he could have a chance to play in Week 7 against the New England Patriots,” Shipley said. “If not then, Campbell will return in Week 8 vs. the Green Bay Packers in Jacksonville.”
Who has replaced him in the starting rotation?
Jacksonville Jaguars’ former seventh-round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, Montaric Brown, has replaced Tyson Campbell in the starting rotation for the last four games. Overall, Brown has done a solid job in relief of Campbell. He has allowed 23 receptions on 35 targets for 224 yards, one touchdown, and a 93.0 passer rating in coverage. He also has a 68.0 coverage and a 70.4 PFF grade.
Many reporters suggest that the Jaguars bench Ronald Darby instead of Brown once Campbell returns to the starting lineup. Darby has allowed 21 receptions on 29 targets for 273 yards, two touchdowns, and a 124.6 passer rating in coverage. He also has a 59.4 coverage and a 62.9 PFF grade.
Either way, the coaching staff has a difficult decision to make.