Jaguars WR/KR Jamal Agnew Suffers Fractured Leg
The Jaguars are one of three teams still in contention to win the AFC South, but their special teams have been dealt a blow. Head coach Doug Pederson announced on Monday that receiver/returner Jamal Agnew suffered a fractured lower leg in Week 17. 
As a result of the injury, he will miss the remainder of the season. The news leaves Jacksonville without a complementary option in the passing game for Week 18 and any postseason games the team plays. The Jaguars will also be without their primary kick and punt returner, though.
Agnew has handled return duties in each of his three seasons in Duval County. He recorded a 102-yard kick return in 2021, and he followed that up with another strong season last year. The 28-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod by totaling 1,025 scrimmage yards and averaging 26 yards per kick return. He has matched the latter figure in 2023, making him an integral member of Jacksonville’s special teams unit.
The former Lions fifth-rounder has also chipped in on offense, retaining a secondary pass-catching role this season. Agnew posted 14 receptions for 225 yards (the second highest total of his career) and one touchdown, production which will especially be missed in the event Christian Kirk is unable to play again in 2023. The latter is on injured reserve due to core muscle surgery, and his return to the lineup is in the air at this point.
Sitting at 9-7, the Jaguars are currently atop their division. They will finish the campaign against the Titans knowing they will need to keep pace with the winner of the Week 18 Colts-Texans matchup to clinch a playoff berth. Jacksonville will be forced to do so without Agnew in the fold. Given his status as a pending free agent, the injury could hinder his market in the offseason on a new Jags pact or one sending him elsewhere.
Jaguars Activate WR Jamal Agnew From IR
It looks like Jaguars wide receiver and return specialist Jamal Agnew only required a short practice window in order to return from injured reserve. Agnew was only designated to return from IR three days ago as he continued working to overcome rib and shoulder injuries that placed him there in the first place. In order to make room on the active roster for the newly activated Agnew, Jacksonville waived backup quarterback Nathan Rourke. 
Agnew had missed the four games required to come back from injured reserve when the Jaguars designated him to return. During his absence the team had turned to rookie sixth-round receiver Parker Washington to return punts and veteran backup running back D’Ernest Johnson to return kickoffs. Now, they’ll get back a return man who was a first-team All-Pro selection as a rookie in Detroit and a Pro Bowl returner in Jacksonville just last year. Agnew has also found a bit of a role in the passing offense since arriving in Duval, providing the Jaguars with another offensive weapon just in time for a tough matchup with the Ravens on Sunday night.
Rourke has spent his first season in the NFL going back and forth between the team’s active and practice squad rosters. He had been called up to back up C.J. Beathard in the off chance that Trevor Lawrence was unavailable to play after his high ankle sprain, but Rourke became expendable with Lawrence playing through the injury. Should he clear waivers, expect Rourke to find his way back to the practice squad in Jacksonville.
Speaking of the practice squad, the Jaguars took the opportunity to announce that practice squad tight end Josh Pederson would serve as the team’s standard game elevation for tomorrow’s matchup with the Ravens. Pederson has appeared in two games so far this season, making his NFL debut two weeks ago.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/23
Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated to return from IR: CB Bobby Price
Buffalo Bills
- Designated to return from IR: WR Justin Shorter
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated to return from IR: DL Viliami Fehoko
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Designated to return from IR: WR Jamal Agnew
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: C Connor Williams (story)
New England Patriots
- Designated to return from IR: T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: WR David Moore
Washington Commanders
- Designated to return from IR: G Saahdiq Charles
- Signed to active roster: DE Joshua Pryor
- Placed on IR: LB Jamin Davis (story)
Agnew has missed the four games required to return from injured reserve, and though he’s not been activated yet, the Jaguars took the first step towards that outcome today in returning him to practice. It was shoulder and rib injuries that led to the return specialist’s placement on IR. During his absence the team had turned to rookie sixth-round receiver Parker Washington to return punts and veteran backup running back D’Ernest Johnson to return kickoffs. Jacksonville still has a few days to determine whether or not they’ll activate him right away for this weekend. If not, the team will have 21 days to activate him before his practice window closes and Agnew is reverted to season-ending IR.
Jaguars Place WR Jamal Agnew On IR, Activate WR Parker Washington
The Jaguars will be without their return man for an extended stretch. A returner and backup wide receiver, Jamal Agnew is moving to IR. This will sideline the veteran weapon for at least four games.
To replace Agnew on their active roster, the Jaguars activated wide receiver Parker Washington on Saturday. A sixth-round rookie out of Penn State, the 21-year-old backup has played in one game this season. Washington worked as a punt returner in that lone outing; the Jags drafted the 5-foot-10 wideout 185th overall this year.
Rib and shoulder injuries will send Agnew to IR; he will not be eligible to return until Week 15. Having made the rare conversion from defensive back to wide receiver after entering the NFL, Agnew has been with the Jaguars since 2021. The former Lions cornerback has operated as the Jags’ return man since signing with the team in 2021. While Agnew landed on IR to cut short his 2021 season, he has been a key part of Jacksonville’s special teams since arriving. An All-Pro in Detroit back in his 2017 rookie year, the former fifth-round pick earned a Pro Bowl nod last season.
Agnew, 28, has worked as both the Jags’ kick returner and their punt-return specialist. While all four of Agnew’s punt-return scores came during his four-year run in Detroit, he added a kick-return TD with Jacksonville in 2021. After scoring three receiving TDs last year, Agnew has nine receptions for 90 yards this year. Although an Agnew fumble wounded the Jaguars’ comeback effort in last year’s divisional round, he has been a key performer for the AFC South team.
This is the final season of Agnew’s three-year, $14.25MM deal. Barring this being a season-ending injury, the seventh-year veteran should be expected to re-emerge as a factor for the division-leading team down the stretch. Washington’s activation leaves the Jags with five such transactions remaining.
Jaguars’ Jamal Agnew In Danger Of Missing Week 1
OTAs are generally a good barometer for the recovery schedules regarding injured players. Especially at this point in the offseason, reports tend to be optimistic with respect to recovery timetables, but the opposite is true in the case of Jamal Agnew.
The Jaguars are currently “unsure” if Agnew will be healthy in time for the start of the season, reports John Reid of the Florida Times Union (Twitter link). The 27-year-old’s season ended in November as a result of a hip injury, and the uncertainty surrounding his availability in the fall points to a stalled recovery.
In a year where little went right on offense for the Jaguars, Agnew was a relative bright spot. He made 24 catches for 229 yards and a touchdown, adding 111 yards and another score on the ground. He was of course most involved in the return game, though. The San Diego alum totalled 525 yards on kick returns, including a 102-yarder. He also recorded a record-breaking score running back a missed field goal in Week 3.
Those abilities on special teams earned Agnew a three-year deal with Jacksonville last offseason. The contract followed four seasons with the Lions, including his rookie campaign in which he was named a First-Team All-Pro for his production returning punts in particular. By the end of his tenure in the Motor City, Agnew had converted from cornerback to receiver, but it was in Jacksonville that he played a significant number of offensive snaps for the first time.
Reid notes that in Agnew’s absence, the Jaguars have used several other players as punt returners so far at OTAs. Among those is Christian Kirk, whom the team added on a four-year, $72MM deal in free agency. The former Cardinal will be leaned on heavily as a receiver, but he has 51 punt returns to his name as well. Only one of those came last season, however, so the team’s preference would surely be for Agnew to recover in time for the season. For now, though, it is in doubt whether or not that will happen.
Jaguars Place Jamal Agnew On IR
The Jaguars have placed wide receiver Jamal Agnew on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. There’s no official word yet, but his hip injury will likely rule him out for the rest of the year.
Agnew suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of yesterday’s loss to the Niners. It looked to be serious right off the bat — Agnew’s leg twisted as he was tackled following the three-yard catch. It’s a bad blow to the Jaguars, since Agnew has been one of their most impactful playmakers this season.
Agnew has registered seven return touchdowns since 2017, more than any other player in the NFL. Two of those have come this year — he housed a 102-yard kickoff in Week 2 and returned a botched field goal try for a record 109-yard TD in Week 3. He’s also played a significant role on offense. Just last week, he scored a 66-yard rushing touchdown against the Colts. Meanwhile, as a receiver, he has a 24/229/1 line for the year.
The Jaguars will replace Agnew on the 53-man roster this week, but they’ll be hard-pressed to replace his production. Head coach Urban Meyer may need other reinforcements too, since left tackle Cam Robinson and cornerbacks Shaquill Griffin and Tyson Campbell were also banged up on Sunday.
Jaguars To Sign Jamal Agnew
The Jaguars just agreed to terms with defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, and now they’re making their second pickup of the day. Jacksonville is signing return specialist/receiver Jamal Agnew, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The initial numbers are eye-popping, as Garafolo reports it’s a three-year deal that “maxes out” at $21MM. He says that includes “reachable incentives.” It’s a heck of a lot more than the two-year, $6MM deal fellow return ace Andre Roberts just got from the Texans. The Lions drafted Agnew in the fifth-round back in 2017, and he immediately made a name for himself on special teams.
He returned two punt returns for touchdowns as a rookie, led the league in punt return average, and was named a first-team All-Pro as a result. This past year he returned 14 punts for 178 yards and a touchdown, adding 28 kick returns for 783 yards (28 Y/R).
No matter how good of a returner he is, this kind of money is still surprising. It could mean that new Jags coach Urban Meyer envisions a role for him on offense. The Lions tried using him a bit as a gadget player this past year, as he finished with 13 catches for 89 yards and six carries for 33 yards.
Obviously he can make things happen with the ball in his hands, so it’ll be interesting to see what Jacksonville’s staff cooks up for him. Darrell Bevell, who coached Agnew in Detroit this past year, is the new OC for the Jaguars.
Lions To Move Jamal Agnew To WR
When the Lions reconvene, they will add an interesting player to their wide receiver corps. Jamal Agnew will fully transition from cornerback to wideout this year, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes.
Known mostly for his work as a return man, Agnew began sitting in on wide receiver meetings last season and has been involved in virtual wideout and cornerback meetings this offseason. When the Lions gather for training camp, the plan is for Agnew to work exclusively at receiver.
Picked in the fifth round out of San Diego in 2017, Agnew is entering a contract year. He has four return touchdowns and secured first-team All-Pro honors as a punt returner as a rookie. Agnew played cornerback with the Toreros in college.
For his NFL career, Agnew has seen spot duty on offense. He has four career carries and three career catches. The versatile 25-year-old talent played 16 offensive snaps last season. That number could well increase this year, though Birkett adds that the fourth-year performer will enter training camp on the roster bubble.
The Lions return their top four wideouts — Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola and Marvin Hall — and drafted Quintez Cephus in Round 5. Detroit also drafted running back Jason Huntley, who is expected to compete with Agnew for return work. Agnew has served as the Lions’ primary kick and punt returner since 2017.
Lions Activate CB Jamal Agnew
The Lions have activated cornerback/return man Jamal Agnew from injured reserve, the club announced today.
Agnew, 23, earned All-Pro honors as a specialist during his rookie season in 2017 after leading the NFL in punt return yardage and average, and also scored two touchdowns on special teams. His prowess in the kicking game had continued into this season, but Agnew had also been asked to play more on defense, where his playtime percentage had jumped from just 7.8% a year ago to 36.3% in 2018. Pro Football Focus gave Agnew poor marks for his coverage abilities, however, grading him as a bottom-10 cornerback.
Detroit has no chance at making the postseason, so it’s fair to wonder why the Lions would risk Agnew’s health in a lost year. But as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com wrote earlier this month, Agnew could use the final two weeks of the 2018 campaign to get more experience playing cornerback. Detroit can certainly use all the help it can get, as the club has been deploying lackluster options Nevin Lawson and Mike Ford (an undrafted rookie free agent) alongside Darius Slay. The Lions currently rank 32nd in pass defense DVOA and 31st in opposing passer rating allowed.
Agnew will take the roster spot of running back Kerryon Johnson, who was placed on injured reserve earlier today.
Lions Designate CB Jamal Agnew For Return
The Lions have designated cornerback/returner Jamal Agnew to return from injured reserve, the club announced today.
Agnew was originally placed on IR on October 15, and given the NFL’s requirement that IR/return players miss six weeks, the earliest Agnew can return is Week 15. He was allowed to return to practice today, however, opening a three-week window during which the Lions must decide whether to activate Agnew to their 53-man roster, or leave him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Agnew, 23, earned All-Pro honors as a specialist during his rookie season in 2017 after leading the NFL in punt return yardage and average, and also scored two touchdowns on special teams. His prowess in the kicking game had continued into this season, but Agnew had also been asked to play more on defense, where his playtime percentage had jumped from just 7.8% a year ago to 36.3% in 2018. Pro Football Focus gave Agnew poor marks for his coverage abilities, however, grading him as a bottom-10 cornerback.
Detroit has no chance at making the postseason, so it’s fair to wonder why the Lions would risk Agnew’s health in a lost year. But as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes, Agnew could use the final three weeks of the 2018 campaign to get more experience playing cornerback. Detroit can certainly use all the help it can get, as the club has been deploying lackluster options Nevin Lawson and Mike Ford (an undrafted rookie free agent) alongside Darius Slay. The Lions currently rank 31st in both pass defense DVOA and opposing passer rating allowed.