Fresh off their biggest win of the 2025-26 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were dealt a major blow. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s top tight end, Brenton Strange, suffered a quadriceps injury during the Monday Night Football victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and is now expected to miss significant time.
How Will the Jaguars Offense Adapt Without Brenton Strange?
If there is a silver lining, it is that head coach Liam Coen does not believe Strange’s injury is season-ending. The team is optimistic that the 24-year-old, who ranks second on the Jaguars in receiving yards, will be out for about a month. Placing him on injured reserve was a logical step with that timeline in mind. While Strange is guaranteed to miss the next four games, he could return when his eligibility window opens.
Source says Brenton Strange expected to miss about a month with a quad injury so not a season-ending injury for the #Jaguars’ tight end. https://t.co/HPNugmt4XK
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 7, 2025
“Source says Brenton Strange expected to miss about a month with a quad injury so not a season-ending injury for the Jaguars’ tight end,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said. This news followed an initial report from Tom Pelissero that Jacksonville was placing him on the IR.
The victory was huge for the now 4-1 Jaguars, who secured a last-second win over the now 2-3 Chiefs. With just two more games before their bye week, the team knows Strange is crucial to its offensive success. While Jacksonville’s offense isn’t the most prolific in the league, it currently ranks 14th with a C+ grade in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
The team’s Week 8 bye arrives perfectly, following their annual game in London in Week 7. Strange might travel with the team for that game, but there is no chance he will play in front of the international crowd. Depending on his recovery, he could return as soon as Week 10 against the Houston Texans on November 9, the first day his return window opens.
Johnny Mundt will step into the primary tight end role with Strange on IR. Behind him, Hunter Long and Quintin Morris will see increased opportunities. Of the three, Morris is the only one who has not recorded a reception this season.
Surprisingly, Long has been more productive than Mundt so far. The 27-year-old Boston College graduate has caught seven of his eight targets for 44 yards and leads the team with two touchdown receptions. This production is notable, as Strange has not yet scored a touchdown this season. Mundt, meanwhile, has just two receptions for 14 yards.