Jags lose WR Agnew (leg) but eye Kirk’s return

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jaguars lost a key playmaker for the rest of the season but could potentially be getting another back — and maybe their starting quarterback, too.

Coach Doug Pederson said Monday the team could potentially open up the 21-day practice window for receiver Christian Kirk to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, which would open the possibility that he could play as soon as Sunday. That would be a huge boost for the offense because receiver/kick returner Jamal Agnew is going to miss the rest of the season after suffering a fractured lower left leg during Sunday’s 26-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

“He’s doing well,” Pederson said of Kirk, who suffered a core muscle injury on the Jaguars’ first offensive snap against Cincinnati on Dec. 4 and underwent surgery a few days later. “He’s doing really well. I would say there’s a potential to activate his window come Wednesday, so we’ll see where he’s at there in a couple of days, which would be positive if he can do something this week. We’ll wait and see.”

The Jaguars are also taking a wait-and-see approach with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who missed the Panthers game with a sprained right AC joint. Pederson said Lawrence got treatment again Monday and is progressing well, but they want to see where he is Wednesday to determine whether, or how much, he’ll be able to practice this week.

Kirk was the Jaguars’ leading receiver at the time of his injury (57 catches for 787 yards and three TDs). There have been multiple issues of communication errors between Lawrence and rookie receiver Parker Washington, including one on a play late in the Jaguars’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4, when Lawrence had to hold onto the ball and got sacked and suffered a sprained ankle.

Agnew had stepped up on offense in Kirk’s absence over the past three games, catching five passes for 135 yards and a touchdown while averaging 24.6 yards on eight kickoff returns.

Pederson also said that receiver Zay Jones, who did not play against Carolina because of knee and hamstring injuries, could get more practice time this week and “hopefully he’s in a position by the end of the week to play in this game.”

Jones has missed eight games this season because of his injuries and has 28 catches for 274 yards and two touchdowns. He set career highs in catches (82) and yards (823) in 2022, his first season with the Jaguars.

The Jaguars (9-7) can win the AFC South by beating Tennessee (5-11) in Nashville on Sunday. That would give the Jaguars back-to-back division titles for just the second time in franchise history. They can still make the playoffs even if they lose to the Titans but would need help from several other teams.

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