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Jaguars HC Doug Pederson announced Friday that TE Evan Engram will have season-ending surgery to fix a torn shoulder labrum. That should mean Brenton Strange leads Jacksonville TE opportunities over the final four games.
Engram missed four games early this season, weeks 2 through 5. Strange played at least 68% of snaps in each of those contests, averaging:
Jacksonville also had its top 3 WRs healthy at that point, though. And all three drew more targets than Strange did over that span.
Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. led with 30 over that span, edging Christian Kirk by one.
The point: Engram's injury creates obvious opportunity for Strange. But can also boost the target outlooks for Thomas and WR Parker Washington.
Barring some offseason setback, this issue shouldn't challenge Engram's start to the 2025 season. There is a potential "out" in his contract after this year, though, according to Spotrac.
Dumping Engram ahead of 2025 would clear about $6 million in cap space but still leave roughly $13.5 million in dead cap.
So I'd bet right now on Engram sticking around. Of course, we'll have to see how a potential coaching change might impact that.
Brian Thomas Jr. looks like an even safer bet for targets the rest of the way. He already set season highs in that category each of the past two weeks.
Parker Washington hit 12 targets in a narrow loss to Houston two weeks ago. He followed that with a mere 2 targets in the win over Tennessee, though.
Washington could help a PPR lineup in a deep league. But he could also offer you next to nothing. Don't get excited. A Week 16 visit to Las Vegas looks like his best remaining chance.
Strange also becomes a potential add for TE-needy teams. But consider him a mid-to-low TE2.
Check your Free Agent Finder for the best available TEs in your league.
According to Johns Hopkins, surgery for a torn shoulder labrum typically requires a 2-3 month timeline for recovery and regaining strength. We'll obviously watch for details on Engram's case specifically.
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