The Jacksonville Jaguars locked up their guard on the opposite side of the line the same day they made a significant investment on their left guard.
The Jaguars are “closing in” on a modified contract for right guard Brandon Scherff, who was previously expected to be among the highest-paid players on the team, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
In 2022, Scherff inked a $49.5 million, three-year contract with the Jaguars that included $30 million in guarantees.
Since joining the Jaguars in the offseason, Scherff has started every one of the 34 regular season games and both playoff contests. He has also received back-to-back offensive captain votes.
The Jaguars appear to have both the guard and tackle positions locked up for the 2024 campaign with the expected return of both Scherff and left guard Ezra Cleveland. The only position left with the possibility of modification is the center one.
When free agency opens, the Jaguars are anticipated to look into the senior center market, according to people with knowledge of the situation, but it doesn’t seem like the organization is eager to spend big money on a top-tier candidate.
“When you consider it, Ton [OL Anton Harrison], Ezra, Luke [OL Luke Fortner], Brandon [OL Brandon Scherff], and Cam [OL Cam Robinson] all participated in the same game. Last regular-season game,” Doug Pederson, the head coach of the Jaguars, stated last week.
“For whatever reason—injury, poor performance, whatever—we’ve got that rotating door on the left side. Due to his late-season injury, suspension, and Cam, he was forced to miss eight games. Neither continuity nor consistency existed for us. Up front, that impacts five guys. That’s where we need to return; we need to be a little bit more consistent there, but as coaches, we can also assist them and better prepare them. I am aware that we will begin this off-season.
