Ameer Abdullah set up theJacksonville Jaguarsfor victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, which already would have been impressive, but was even more so considering the battle he had to fight just to make the active roster.
Abdullah is a 12-year veteran of the NFL and was signed by the Jaguars as a free agent in May. From there, he had a difficult road to making the final 53-man roster. Three players — Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen — had all-but-guaranteed roster spots already, so Abdullah had to not only convince Jacksonville staff to roster four running backs, but to keep him over Deejay Dallas and undrafted rookie J'Mari Taylor. Head coach Liam Coen had praised his experience and dedication, and that was seemingly
what made the difference in finding him a place on the team.
He has since been a strong contributor, particularly on special teams, but came in clutch with a game-winning assist at the end of the Jaguars-Eagles game. With just 0:08 to go, Jacksonville seemed poised to walk away with a heartbreaking loss after Philadelphia kicker Jake Elliott connected on a 48-yard field goal, giving the Eagles a two-point lead, and not much time for the Jaguars to score.
But Abdullah had an incredible 53-yard kickoff return to the 39-yard line, setting up kicker Cam Little for the game-winning field goal.
One of the craziest endings of the year. pic.twitter.com/Wm9hwOjk1U
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
In a post-game press conference, Coen had heartfelt praise for Abdullah, pointing out that he very quickly became a leader on the team.
"That is that dude," he said. "That guy is one of the first in the building every single day. Ameer, to get in our building this spring, Ameer had four votes, four or five votes to be a captain. I mean, he made such an impression on this team right away, right from the beginning. He takes care of his body, he takes care of his mind, he prepares to be a starter. He's been one of the best human beings, and a guy that I cannot say enough about, has gone through so much in this last six months, actually. And I pray for him, I love him to death, and I'm very proud of him today."
Abdullah's defining play Sunday lasted only a few seconds. But according to Coen, the work that made it possible has been happening every day since he arrived in Jacksonville.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Liam Coen has heartfelt praise for Ameer Abdullah after clutch return
