Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard is expected to miss the first few games of the regular season because of a knee injury, coach Doug Pederson said Monday.
Wingard injured his knee in a collision with running back Tank Bigsby on July 30 at training camp.
“I don’t want to put (Wingard) in a box or label him,” Pederson told reporters. “But you know, it’ll definitely be some time. At least the first few games, possibly.”
Wingard, 27, is a key player on special teams and made 45 tackles and one interception, forced one fumble and defended two passes in 17 games (two starts) last season. In five seasons in Jacksonville, he has 250 tackles, two sacks, five interceptions, nine passes defended and three forced fumbles in 78 games (26 starts).
The Jacksonville added to their depth at safety with their announcement Sunday that they have signed veteran safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. Gipson reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the club.
This will be Gipson’s second stint with the Jaguars. He started all 48 regular-season games and three playoff contests from 2016-18, including Jacksonville’s appearance in the AFC Championship Game during the 2017 season.
Gipson, 34, will serve a six-game suspension to start the 2024 campaign due to a violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
The Jaguars open the regular season on Sept. 8 at the Miami Dolphins.