Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Patrick Mekari is expected to miss time after reportedly having a procedure on his back, per Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport. A decision has not been made on whether or not he'll start the season on the injured reserve list according to the NFL Network reporters.
Mekari is in his second season with the Jaguars after signing with the team during the 2025 NFL free agency period. He has been an onlooker for most of training camp, watching from the sidelines as teammates take a majority of team reps.
Several players have gotten the opportunity to play at right guard as he was sidelined including Wyatt Milum and 2026 third round draft pick Emmanuel Pregnon.
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Mekari's injury is the latest in a string of afflictions for the Jaguars' offensive line. The team placed starter Cole Van Lanen on the Physically Unable to Perform list before training camp began.
Backup swing tackles Walker Little and Chuma Edoga both suffered injuries in the first few weeks of training camp. Now, Mekari will be sidelined for several weeks as the team tries to put together the best group of players to protect Trevor Lawrence.
The Jaguars are set to host the Carolina Panthers in joint practice on Aug. 19 ahead of the second preseason game of the year on Aug. 21. They'll likely continue shuffling the offensive line throughout the week as they try to find a combination that works.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Report: Jaguars' Patrick Mekari has back surgery, expected to miss time
