After placing Eric Murray on Injured Reserve earlier this year, the Jacksonville Jaguars just announced that they've activated his 21-day window to return to practice. The 10-year veteran was listed as limited in the last injury report, and there's no guarantee that he'll suit up against the Tennessee Titans. However, his return will give the Jags a much-needed boost at safety.
Antonio Johnson has held the fort during Murray's absence, so it's fair to wonder who'll get the starting nod next to Andrew Wingard once Murray returns.
Should the Jaguars roll with Antonio Johnson or Eric Murray?
Eric Murray suffered a neck injury in the loss to the Seahawks in Week 7 and was placed, along with Travis Hunter, on Injured Reserve not long after. Before getting hurt, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher made seven starts and registered one interception, 24 total tackles, and four passes defensed.
Antonio Johnson filled in for Murray the past four games (Jacksonville had its BYE in Week 8). Although he struggled against the Las Vegas Raiders, he's otherwise played well. In fact, the former Texas A&M Aggie just registered his second interception of the season in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
One thing that could help the Jaguars make a decision is that Johnson also popped up on the initial injury report with an elbow injury, so if he isn't good to go, Murray could get his old spot back. Then again, it's not a given that he'll return against the Titans.
In fact, head coach Liam Coen told reporters that he's thrilled that Murray is close to returning but didn't commit to him being back in Week 13. Below's the skinny.
"Yeah, hopefully, we'll see what he looks like throughout the week," Coen responded when asked what Murray's incoming return meant to the depth at safety (1:13 mark). "Great to just get him back out on the grass. Hopefully, the communication, the ability to continue to calm things down with his presence. But I really believe that Antonio Johnson has stepped up in a major way. I thought the last few weeks, specifically, Dewey has also played some good football for us, and Rayuan Lane has stepped up in a big way."
Coen continued, "He played the most snaps, I think this past week that he's kind of played throughout the season, and when he's out there, he just plays his tail off, as he does on special teams. So getting Eric back will definitely help. We'll see what it looks like for his availability this week, but been very confident. Antonio Johnson is playing with as much confidence as I've ever seen him have, and his impact in the game for us in a positive way."
You could argue that the Jags should go with Johnson because he has a bigger upside at this stage of his career. On the other hand, Murray may be the most consistent of the two, and that would make him a more appealing choice. Another alternative would be to have both take the field and bump Andrew Wingard down the depth chart.
Ultimately, the Jaguars should roll with whomever they think will give them a better chance to win, whether that's Eric Murray or Antonio Johnson.