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Jacksonville Jaguars right guard Patrick Mekari has struggled to stay healthy during his short tenure with the team. Mekari suffered a severe back injury in Week 16, which sidelined him for Weeks 17 and 18 before he returned in the Wild Card Round and played 44 of 56 offensive snaps. The versatile offensive lineman missed spring workouts, and although the Jaguars did not place him on the active/PUP list, he has not participated in training camp. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ $37M starter underwent a procedure; return unknown According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Patrick Mekari recently underwent a back procedure and is expected to miss an extended period. However, as Garafolo noted, it remains unclear how long Mekari will be sidelined and whether the Jaguars will place him on the injured reserve during roster cuts, which would sideline him for at least the first four games. However, Jacksonville expects the versatile right guard to play this season; it is just a matter of when, considering back injuries can be tricky to recover from. #Jaguars G Patrick Mekari recently underwent a procedure on his back and will miss some time, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Jacksonville expects Mekari to play this season and has not yet made a decision on IR to begin the year. pic.twitter.com/jEpDVVMiE3 — Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 18, 2026 Who replaces him (if he misses time) The three main candidates to take over at right guard include Walker Little, Wyatt Milum, and third-round pick Emmanuel Pregnon. Little was seeing reps at right tackle during training camp with Cole Van Lanen sidelined but is currently working his way back from an ankle injury. Milum was taking first-team reps at right guard and got the start against the New Orleans Saints but is expected to be sidelined until next week with an undisclosed injury. Pregnon has been taking second-team reps at left guard but could slide into the starting rotation with the other players sidelined.