Jaguars coach provides update on Pro Bowl TE’s status for Week 3 clash against Bills

The Jacksonville Jaguars will likely be without two-time Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram for their Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, according to head coach Doug Pederson. The sideline boss gave an update on the wide receiver’s availability during an appearance Friday afternoon on a Jacksonville radio station, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News.

Engram suffered a hamstring injury during warmups before Jacksonville’s Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns. The injury kept him out Sunday and, according to Pederson, appears likely to keep him out for at least one more game.

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The 30-year-old is coming off his best professional season, catching 114 passes for 963 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. The mid-career breakout came after a 2022 season in which he also set career highs in receptions and yards, catching 73 passes for 766 yards and four more touchdowns. The former first-round pick has a combined 450 catches for 4,562 yards and 24 touchdowns in his now eight-year professional career.

His absence will make things a little easier for Buffalo on Monday, especially considering the holes currently in the middle of its second tier due to injuries to Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard and Taron Johnson. Engram is one of Lawrence’s favorite targets, and he’ll now look to spread the ball between Christian Kirk, rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and senior Bill Gabriel Davis in the tight end’s absence; second-year tight end Brenton Strange is also a player to watch, having caught three passes on six targets for 65 yards in Engram’s place last week.

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