JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars look like they are getting a big boost to their secondary in Week 8.
The Jaguars had cornerback Montaric Brown listed as a full participant in practice for the second day in a row , a sign that Jacksonville is set to get their highest-paid cornerback back on the field against the Indianapolis Colts.
But what could the potential return of Brown really mean for the Jaguars in an important Week 8 AFC South battle?
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (1) tosses the ball back before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Brown has missed all but six snaps over the Jaguars' last three weeks due to the hamstring injury, which first flared up on the Jaguars' injury report in the practices leading up to Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. While Brown was not having a stellar season before his injury, it is worth noting that the Jaguars rank No. 28 and No. 24, respectively, in EPA/Play and success rate against the pass in the three weeks since.
While Brown may not slot in as a starter right off the bat for the Jaguars, he would give them expanded depth at a critical position alongside Travis Hunter, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis.
"Certainly, we'd have a guy who's got a lot of experience who knows our system. It'd be good to have him back out there healthy," Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said on Thursday.
Brown did play six snaps in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles but left after allowing a long touchdown pass to Darius Cooper in man coverage, a play that clearly showed the impact of his injury. Without Brown the next week against the Houston Texans, the Jaguars had one of their worst defensive performances in two seasons.
"I know in the Philly game, tough situation where he got hurt there in the game, but he looks good and we gain a veteran presence, and we gain a level of physicality anytime Buster's out there," Campanile said. "I think he's done a great job for us that way on the line of scrimmage, tackling, being physical, even in the coverage element of everything. So yeah, that's what we gain with him in there."
Getting Brown back at cornerback could allow the Jaguars to do a number of things differently, including getting Hunter more snaps on offense after his dominant game against the Houston Texans. Not having Brown available was the primary reason Hunter didn't play an offensive snap in Week 4 against the Bengals, which to date is the only game in Hunter's career in which he did not take a snap on both sides of the ball.
Getting Brown back also happens at a good time for the secondary since safety Antonio Johnson did not practice for the second day in a row with an ankle injury. Johnson looks unlikely to play against the Colts, which means the Jaguars will need backups like Kaevon Merriweather and reinforcements like Brown to step up in the secondary.
"Every game's different and I think we're fortunate where we got a really good room there, and I think Kaevon [Merriweather] has done a good job coming in here as a new guy who's stepped up and given us the opportunity to have another guy that can kind of play some of those roles," Campanile said.
"I think even watching him in the last game, you see some physicality, and I think he's learning everything we're doing. He's worked really hard at it. I think Perk [Defensive Backs Coach Anthony Perkins] has done a great job with him, getting him up to speed. So, there's some other guys in that room who help us that way. Like any game, you're always adjusting."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jaguars/onsi as Jaguars-Colts Thursday Injury Report: What Does Montaric Brown's Return Mean? .
