Details have emerged regarding the PED suspension Cam Robinson will serve to begin the 2023 season. The Jaguars tackle will be sidelined for four games to start the year, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
News of the Robinson ban came out in April, but it was not known at that point how many contests he would miss. Thursday’s update clarifies the challenge Jacksonville will face along the offensive line, a unit which already saw the departure of Jawaan Taylor to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
The loss of Taylor left the Jaguars in need of a notable O-line investment in the draft, something which came in Round 1 in the form of Anton Harrison. The latter was likely to play on the right side upon Robinson’s return, but there is a path for him to spend the first month of his rookie campaign at his familiar left tackle spot. Harrison made all but one of his starts at Oklahoma on the blindside.
Jacksonville also has Walker Little in place as a more experienced LT option. The former second-rounder has made 28 regular and postseason appearances to date, spending most of his time at left tackle. If the team elects to ease Harrison into the pro game (or keep him at right tackle in preparation for when Robinson returns) the Stanford product could see a starting blindside role in the fall.
For Robinson individually, this news carries significant financial consequences. As Schefter’s colleague Field Yates tweets, the 27-year-old will lose $3.55M in salary due to the missed time. The remaining guaranteed money on his deal will also void. Robinson signed a three-year, $52.75M extension in 2022 which called for his $16M 2023 base salary to be guranteed in full. That figure will rise to a non-guranteed $16.25M next season, while his cap hit will remain above $22M, as is the case this year.
The Jaguars have remained committed to the Alabama product despite his less-than-spectacular performances throughout his career. His return to the lineup will no doubt be welcomed when it takes place, but the absence of guaranteed money in the final year of his contract could spark new questions about his long-term future with the team. Robinson will miss games against the Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons while serving his suspension. He will be eligible to return in Week 5 for the Jaguars’ London match-up with the Buffalo Bills.
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