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With two wins in their last three games, the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to turn their season around. Getting a key defensive player back would help, which the team hopes to do ahead of Week 8.
The team’s top linebacker and 2023 leading tackler, Foyesade Oluokun, is set to make his return from injured reserve in the coming weeks, per Ian Rapoport. The Jaguars opened his 21-day practice window on Oct. 22 and hope to have him back into the lineup as soon as Week 8. Oluokun has missed Jacksonville’s past four games, which is the minimum requirement for injured reserve.
Oluokun has not played since Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills. Before that game, he appeared to be on track to pick up where he left off from a 2023 season when he led the NFL in tackles. Oluokun had 19 total tackles in the first two games of the season, including an 11-tackle game in Week 1.
In his absence, the Jaguars’ defense has been led by Devin Lloyd and Ventrell Miller who both have a team-leading 47 tackles. Miller serves as Oluokun’s replacement at weak-side linebacker while Lloyd continues to operate the middle.
In the past four games Oluokun has missed, the Jaguars have given up over 30 points in two of them. However, the team has gone 2-2 in that span as the offense has seemingly found its rhythm, led by fourth-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence and breakout running back Tank Bigsby.
For the second straight season, the Jaguars have played back-to-back games overseas in London. The team split the pair of games, going 1-1, and are now 2-1 in their last three games. Their 2-5 record ahead of Week 8 is less than ideal but a step up from their horrendous 0-4 start.
With the news of Oluokun’s impending return, the Jaguars will look to bring their momentum back home to Jacksonville. The team sits third in the AFC South through seven weeks and faces a daunting challenge against the surging Green Bay Packers in Week 8.
The Packers’ offense has been on a tear since Jordan Love’s return, averaging 28 points per game with the 25-year-old under center. Green Bay is riding a three-game win streak into their matchup with the Jaguars and has scored 24 or more points in each game of that span.
Love’s return has sparked the Packers’ passing game, but Oluokun’s potential presence would be a positive step toward thwarting Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs-led running game. Jacobs is on pace for his fourth 1,000-yard season in 2024 and is fresh off a 76-yard game against Houston in which he averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
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