In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, let’s talk about which teams were the luckiest and maybe the unluckiest during the 2024 season.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, they find themselves in the latter category.
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Injuries can play a huge part in how teams perform throughout the season, a shocking statement, I know. Seriously though, it’s a factor that teams, for the most part, have little control over yet can drastically change the fate of one’s season.
Of the 15 teams most affected by injuries in 2024, just one team was able to make the playoffs, the Detroit Lions.
The Lions, who went despite their league-leading 23 players on Injury Reserve, dominated their competition.
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When playoff time came, however, it was simply too much for them to overcome as their depleted roster finally started to show cracks, losing to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional round.
Of the 17 teams least affected by injuries, 13 of them made the playoffs. The seven teams least affected all made the playoffs.
By the time of the NFC Championship, the Philadelphia Eagles had 21 of their 22 regular season starters available.
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It’s no wonder how the Eagles looked so fresh and well-rested for that Super Bowl beatdown.
When you combine a roster as talented and deep as Philadelphia with incredible injury luck, the results might just include a Super Bowl ring.
While injuries are often simply bad luck, good organizations can help to mitigate the fallout as seen by the Detroit Lions this past season. It falls on the front office and coaching staff to build a roster and environment that can handle that sort of adversity and work through it.
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The Jaguars were one of the teams most affected by injuries last season as their $103 million on the Injury Reserve ranked fourth in the NFL. The three teams above the Jaguars included the Cowboys, 49ers, and Browns.
While the Jaguars defense remained relatively healthy, last season was the second straight season in which Trevor Lawrence faced injuries and was forced to miss games as a result.
Add in the injuries across the offensive line and to the receiving corps, and it’s difficult to see the Jaguars having a winning season even with Lawrence under center. For the Jaguars’ roster and coaching staff, it likely would have been too much to overcome.
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It’s a big part of what General Manager James Gladstone is trying to build in Jacksonville this offseason, raising the team’s floor such that if injuries do happen, the impact won’t be felt quite as bad. It’s the only weapon teams have to fight off misfortune.
Some Jaguars are in need of big, bounce-back seasons after some injury-riddled seasons, namely Lawrence and Tyson Campbell.
If the Jaguars can stay healthy, there’s no reason this roster and staff should not be competing for the AFC South and a playoff berth
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