While many of the other 31 teams in the National Football League are dealing with a wider range of injuries to their roster, the Jaguars have gotten largely good news: Brandon Linder and Andrew Wingard were both available to practice Monday, and D.J. Chark has only a few more tests remaining before he can return.
It's been all good news except at one position: kicker.
After Josh Lambo went on the Injured List last week with a hip injury, his back-up, kicker/punter Brandon Wright, suffered a groin injury in the Jaguars' loss to the Miami Dolphins Thursday night.
"We’re still working on him as far as seeing where he’s at tomorrow. He won’t do anything today," head coach Doug Marrone said Monday morning. "But I think tomorrow he’ll work with the trainers and we’ll have a better idea of where he is."
Whether Wright can go or not, the Jaguars still made the decision to sign another kicker, veteran Stephen Hauschka, later in the day on Monday, according to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
A 12-year veteran, Hauschka spent the last three seasons in Buffalo, posting a 78.6% field goal percentage last season and making 30 of 32 extra points. Prior to joining the Bills, Hauschka was the kicker for the "Legion of Boom" era Seattle Seahawks, missing just five field goal attempts from 50 or more in his six seasons with Seattle. His best season came, perhaps not surprisingly, for the 2013 Super Bowl Champion Seahawks, making 100% of his extra points and 94.3% of field goals. His career long is 58 yards. Hauschka has missed just eight kicks in 12 years from 39 yards or less.
It is being reported that, presumably in a corresponding move, the Jaguars have waived veteran defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan. The Lake City native has played 54 snaps through three games with one quarterback hit and one tackle.
The Jaguars (1-2) travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals (0-2-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
