Jaguars Guard Patrick Mekari's Back Procedure is a Preseason Headache for Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Jaguars are already playing offensive line roulette before the real games even start. Starting right guard Patrick Mekari recently underwent a back procedure and is going to miss some time, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.

The good news is that Jacksonville expects the 29-year-old to play this season. The bad news is that back injuries for 305-pound men whose entire job involves violently colliding with other 300-pound men are rarely a quick fix.

"Mike Garafolo reported that Mekari will miss some time but is expected to play this season."

Mekari is not just a depth piece you can easily swap out. He started 14 games at right guard for the Jaguars last season after coming over from the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year deal.

He was a massive reason Trevor Lawrence stayed upright in 2025. Mekari anchored a unit that did not allow a single sack in five different games, giving the offense time to actually operate.

This back issue is not exactly coming out of nowhere, either. Mekari actually exited Jacksonville's wild-card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills with a back injury, though the team clearly hoped an offseason of rest would solve the problem.

The front office was confident enough in his health that they converted $9.2 million of his salary into a signing bonus back in March to clear up cap space. Now, that investment is temporarily stuck in the trainer's room.

For anyone looking at early-season win totals or Trevor Lawrence passing props, this is the exact kind of unsexy news that actually moves the needle. A backup guard trying to block elite interior rushers is how a clean pocket turns into a track meet.

Now the Jaguars have a math problem on their hands. They have to decide whether to stash Mekari on injured reserve to start the year, which would guarantee he misses at least the first month of the season.

Until that roster decision is made, Jacksonville's coaching staff will be scrambling to figure out who is keeping their franchise quarterback off the turf in Week 1.