Travon Walker's wrist surgery leaves his Monday Night Football status in limbo as Jacksonville prepares for Kansas City. He is listed day-to-day, with a potential return, shaping the Jaguars' defensive plan against a high-powered Chiefs attack. If Walker sits, Dawuane Smoot, Emmanuel Ogbah, B.J. Green and Dennis Gardeck step into bigger roles to pressure Mahomes and shore up the edge.

Walker has been disruptive through four games (13 pressures, 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 2 sacks) and tops the Jaguars in stops among the defensive linemen. His absence would test the depth chart, but the group has shown capability in extended rotations. The Jaguars will lean on depth and technique to keep KC's protection schemes from dictating the game while managing the run game.

Gardeck seized Week 3 against Houston, logging 21 snaps and four tackles as Jacksonville leaned on his versatility out of sub-packages. His ability to rush, stop the run, and drop into space suggests a growing role for the Jaguars, especially with San Francisco looming. Tim Patrick’s usage also rose, to 22 snaps, as he lined up inside and outside, offering flexibility with Dyami Brown sidelined. The piece also notes Mullens’ SF lineage, Lawrence’s growing but imperfect balance, and path to more opportunities for a multifaceted offense.

Chad Muma was cut by the Jaguars as part of roster reductions, ending a three-year run that saw him notch 692 defensive snaps and a heavy special-teams footprint (324 snaps last season across five of six phases). His coverage numbers were a concern (88% completions, 10.3 yards per catch), and a crowded linebacker room—with Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Ventrell Miller, Dennis Gardeck, and rookies Jack Kiser and Jalen McLeod—made him expendable.

Fantasy takeaway: Muma’s exit tightens Jacksonville’s LB mix and could push Lloyd into a larger role, with Kiser and McLeod pushing for backups and special-teams volume. Dennis Gardeck’s addition adds pass-rush depth, potentially loosening Muma’s previously steady special-teams reliance. Monitor how the new depth affects Week 1 snaps and IDP value in deeper formats.