Jaguars designate veteran OLB for return

The Jags announced Smoot will begin practicing Wednesday. The recently re-signed edge rusher landed on the reserve/PUP list to start the season. Smoot sustained an Achilles tear in Week 16 of last season.

Smoot is playing on his third Jaguars contract. The team had re-signed the former third-round pick in 2021 and had seen steady play amid a woeful period. Smoot registered between five and six sacks in each of his past four seasons. He combined for 29 QB hits from 2020-21 and added 12 last season to go with his five sacks. The Achilles tear crushed Smoot’s market, but shortly after the Ravens arranged a free agency meeting, the Illinois alum opted to return to the Jags on a one-year, $3.5M deal.

The team circled back to Smoot in July, adding him months after losing Arden Key in free agency. Key signed with the Titans, creating a void behind starters Josh Allen and Travon Walker. Smoot, 28, will be expected to re-emerge as a key backup. The Jags are down multiple front-seven pieces, with defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton still on IR.

Week 5 represents the first week for players on the PUP, IR and NFI lists to return. Wednesday’s designation for return starts Smoot’s activation clock. The Jaguars now have three weeks to move the seventh-year defender back onto their 53-man roster. Failure to do so in a 21-day period would send Smoot to season-ending IR.