The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 on Monday Night Football. However, they lost tight end Brenton Strange to a lower-body injury during the game. The expectation was that he was going to be fine, but the latest update doesn't paint a favorable picture.
Just one day after the 31-28 win over the Chiefs, the Jags announced that Strange is being placed on Injury Reserve. That means he'll miss at least four games. That's not great news however you break it down.
For starters, the former Penn State Nittany Lion led the team with 20 receptions for 204 yards. Moreover, his blocking chops are a valuable yet undervalued part of his game. And although Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt are solid replacements, neither is as good a pass catcher as Strange. This begs the question, what's next for the Jaguars?
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The Jaguars will miss Brenton Strange during his IR absence
The good news is that Brenton Strange will return at some point of the season, but his absence most definitely leaves a void on offense. Hunter Long had a combined eight receptions the past four years and already tied his career best of seven in four games this season. On the other hand, Johnny Mundt has only hauled in two catches after signing with the Jags in the offseason.
Just before the game, Jacksonville signed Quintin Morris to the active roster after promoting him from the practice squad as many times as they could per season (three). That means their tight end room is rounded out for the moment, but that shouldn't stop general manager James Gladstone from making phone calls.
David Ngoku (Cleveland Browns) could be a potential trade target; the same is true for Michael Meyer (Las Vegas Raiders). Neither tight end appears to be on the trade block, but it wouldn't hurt the Jags to make inquiries with their respective teams.
And that's the thing, Gladstone hasn't been afraid to trade for help to address a need, and he has plenty of draft capital to bring in reinforcements. Defensive tackle was a question mark in the preseason, so he acquired Khalen Saunders Sr. from the New Orleans Saints. What's stopping him from trading for help at tight end?
The bottom line is that Brenton Strange's stay on Injured Reserve leaves a void on offense, and while the Jaguars should be able to withstand the blow, they shouldn't hesitate to bring in external help.