JACKSONVILLE – DJ Chark Jr. is expected to return Sunday.
Chark, a Pro Bowl wide receiver who missed a loss last week to the Miami Dolphins with a chest/back injury, was removed from the Jaguars' injury report Friday. He is expected to play against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday.
The third-year veteran practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday this week.
"Obviously, it's a big lift to get someone like DJ [back],'' Head Coach Doug Marrone said Friday as the Jaguars (1-2) prepared to play the Bengals (0-2-1) at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sunday at 1 p.m.
Chark caught seven passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in the first two games of the season, and Marrone said his importance goes beyond statistics.
"There are a lot of things that he does on the sidelines – his leadership, just the way he pushes everyone around him and tries to make everyone around him better," Marrone said. "Anytime you have players like that coming back it's just going to help your football team."
Kicker Stephen Hauschka, a thirteen-year veteran signed Monday after injuries to starting kicker Josh Lambo and replacement kicker Brandon Wright, was listed as questionable. He did not practice Wednesday and practiced limited Thursday and Friday.
"It's basically overall soreness, so we're trying to be careful," Marrone said.
Aldrick Rosas kicked in practice this week and will kick Sunday if Hauschka is unavailable, Marrone said. Rosas signed to the Jaguars' practice squad Monday.
Hauschka has made 264 of 308 career field goals, including 28 of 45 from at least 50 yards; he spent two seasons with Baltimore (2008-09), one with Denver (2010), six with Seattle (2011-16) and three with Buffalo (2017-19).
Rosas, a fourth-year veteran, kicked for the New York Giants from 2017-19 and made 48 of 62 career field goals and 86 of 95 career extra points; he was a Pro Bowl selection following the 2018 season after converting 32 of 33 field goals.
The Jaguars on Friday ruled out center Brandon Linder (knee) for a second consecutive week – and also ruled out defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (knee). The other Jaguars players who appeared on the injury report this week were removed from the report Friday and are expected to be available Sunday.
NOTABLE I
Rookie K'Lavon Chaisson left no doubt Friday: He expects the Jaguars' pass rush to improve, and he expects to be a reason for that improvement. "There's no secret behind it: I'm not getting there," said Chaisson, who has one of the Jaguars' three sacks through three games. "That was the purpose of me getting here. That was the purpose of the head coach and general manager taking a chance and getting me in the first round [of the 2020 NFL Draft] – to get after the quarterback. I haven't been getting there on a consistent basis. I promise you I've been working my butt off every week, just to make sure I'm getting better. We watch the film and I know there a lot of things I can get better at. I have to grow up fast. I don't have really have too much time to feel it out. The defensive line and the pass rush are depending on me as well as [defensive ends] Josh [Allen] and [Dawuane] Smoot and all the other guys. I need to pick it up fast and I need to get it going. That's what I need to do starting Sunday."
