Jaguars Pick-Up Makes Triumphant Return to Practice

The Jacksonville Jaguars have held six training camp practices thus far, but none have featured one of their most interesting offseason pickups.

That has changed for Thursday, though, with pass-rusher Dennis Gardeck making his first return to practice after sustaining an ACL injury in 2024. He was officially activated from the PUP list.

Gardeck signed with the franchise last month but up to this point has worked off to the side with trainers as he rehabs from his injury. Now, the former Arizona Cardinals impact player is set to undergo his first practice with the Jaguars.

"Yeah, just a ton of respect for the player competing against him two times a year in L.A. since 2018," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said during OTAs in June. "Every time we would go play the Arizona Cardinals, he was on the game-wrecker board."

"We would always kind of introduce the game wreckers to the players. And he was on there, whether it was originally for special teams, and then also for rushing the passer and creating some disruption," the Jaguars head coach explained. "It just gives us somebody a little bit different kind of style rusher, special teams demon."

Coen noted Gardeck's accolades during his time in Arizona, including being the special teams captain and his three sacks against Los Angeles in Week 2 of last season, explaining that not many players can do what he did.

"Not sure how many people did that this past season, but he did and had an interception in the following game. So you're just looking at continuing to find guys that can disrupt the game in a specific way, whether it's in the DPR or on special teams.”

Now, Gardeck will make his return to the field and the Jaguars can see how he fits their new-look edge defender depth chart alongside Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Dawuane Smoot.

“I think having better edge depth matters. I think moving Arik [DT Arik Armstead] to the inside is also going to open us up a lot more. I'm excited to rush with the four we’ve got. If you put in Maason [DT Maason Smith] in there… When Maason gets healthy, you put Maason in there, Arik, Smoot, myself, Tray [DE Travon Walker], Ogbah, you know what I'm saying?" Hines-Allen said.

"The rotation can kind of be endless. We can kind of line up anywhere. But right now, it's just how do you like to rush? Like, me and Smoot, we know, like, “Go.’ You know what I'm saying? So, it's very natural, and I called him.