Jaguars open CB Gregory Junior’s 21-day window to return from IR

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Gregory Junior will be back on the practice field this week after the team designated him to return from the injured reserve.

The designation means Junior will have as many as 21 days to practice with the team without counting against the team’s 53-man active roster limit. At any point during the three-week period, the cornerback can be elevated to the active roster and become available to play.

Junior, 24, was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft and spent the majority of his rookie season on the Jaguars’ practice squad. After impressing this year in training camp and preseason, Junior earned a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster and made a strong push for Tre Herndon III’s slot cornerback role.

But Junior played just two snaps in the Jaguars’ Week 1 win against the Indianapolis Colts before landing on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

The Jaguars could use the return of Junior after placing rookie cornerback Christian Braswell on injured reserve as well, and recently losing Tyson Campbell to a hamstring injury.