With tight end Brenton Strange going to injured reserve, the Jaguars will fill his spot by committee with three veterans.
JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost their leading receiver in tight end Brenton Strange, who also was one of the players who epitomized the tough edge coach Liam Coen has instilled in this team.
But this is a roster that has been overhauled with depth in mind and until Strange returns from the injured reserve list in four weeks (at best), a trio of veteran tight ends are ready to supply the combination of pass catching and blocking that Strange had provided.
Consider the experience the Jaguars will lean on at tight end during that time:
- Hunter Long, who has already caught two touchdown passes this season, has played 42 games in five seasons with Miami and the Los Angeles Rams.
- Johnny Mundt, who was brought in as the blocking tight end, has played 103 games in nine years, with the Rams and Minnesota.
- And Quintin Morris, elevated from the practice squad in week two, has 49 games in five seasons, all with Buffalo.
That’s a combination of 17 years and 194 games of NFL experience. Throw in the fact that all three have been on teams that made the playoffs a combined 17 playoff games, with Morris and Mundt playing in seven each, and the Jaguars’ coaching staff is far from being in a crisis mode over losing Strange, who caught 20 passes for 204 yards before injuring his hip near the end of the first half against Kansas City.
Jaguars OC has confidence TEs can execute the offense
Offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said it’s not as simple as re-creating Strange in the aggregate. The playbook is still open for Long, Mundt and Morris to fill any role, whether receiving or blocking, that the Jags need.
“We’re not necessarily trying to replace Brenton, because he is a guy who has unique talents and poses unique challenges to a defense,” Udinski said on Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Miller Electric Center, before the Jaguars practiced in preparation to play the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 12 (1 p.m., EverBank Stadium, FOX). “He’s got skills in the run game, pass game, screen game ... he adds a lot to our offense, even stuff that might not be seen on the stat page.
“But I do think what you’re trying to do is take advantage of these guys’ [Long, Mundt and Morris] skills and what they can provide to the offense,” Udinski continued. “And I think that’s a whole variety of things.”
It’s not as simple as Long being more adept at receiving and Mundt and Morris being the blockers — although the latter two were brought to the team primarily as blocking tight ends.
Udinkski said nothing is off the table for any of them.
“All of those guys can be valuable in the run game, pass game lineup, in different positions, in the backfield, out wide, at tight end, off the ball, doing a lot of different things,” he said. “Their skills and those guys just being themselves will be more than enough if we go out and execute and use them properly.”
TEs ready to assume any role the Jaguars need
Long, who has caught seven passes for 44 yards, vowed that the Jaguars coaches can continue to run whatever they want through the tight ends position.
“The process isn’t going to change,” Long said. “The season is not going to change. We’re going to be ready to roll and pick up the slack and get this thing going.”
Mundt, who has 67 receptions for 561 yards and four touchdowns in his career, has caught two passes for 14 yards and said he’s ready for an expanded role should the team need him.
“We’re prepared to step up and have a larger role and we’re well-prepared for that,” Mundt said. “I’m very excited about it. I’ll do whatever the Jaguars need me to do week-to-week.”
Quintin Morris is on active roster to stay
Morris has had a roller-coaster ride so far this season. He was a late free-agent signing from the Bills just before spring mini-camp and after being waived, was brought back to the practice squad. Morris has been elevated to the active roster four weeks in a row.
“I had a feel for it happening,” Morris said of the fourth elevation, which by NFL rules required him to remain on the active roster. “It was Sunday [the day before the Kansas City game] when they told me. We hated to see our brother [Strange] go down but at the end of the day, across the league, it’s a next man up mentality. We have a great room and a bunch of guys who are going to be ready, however we’re used.”
Experience is one thing but two of the three Jaguars tight ends are well-versed in the offensive system. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and pass game coordinator Shane Waldron were with the Rams when Mundt played there (Coen for three of Mundt’s seasons in L.A., Waldron for four) and Udinski was an offensive coach with Minnesota for Mundt’s last three years.
Long played for the Rams in 2023 and 2024 but was under head coach Sean McVay, who hired Coen and Waldron. Jaguars general manager James Gladstone was the Rams' director of scouting strategy when Long was in L.A.
“John has played a lot of ball in this league ... Hunter has played a lot of ball,” Morris said. “I’ve played a lot of ball. Johnny and Hunter are really familiar with the system.”
Long said it will be a matter of more work in practice and meetings to get up to speed.
“Nothing’s going to change,” he said. “We’re going to pick up the slack, pick up some extra reps ... we’re not going to change this room’s standard. We hold ourselves to it.”
Ryan O'Halloran contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Veteran Jaguars tight ends rally together after Brenton Strange injury
Category: Football
