Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin is now medically cleared from the back injury that ended his 2022 season, according to Jordan Schulz of The Score. That opens the door for the Jaguars to part with the cornerback, which is reportedly the team’s plan.
While Schulz says the Jaguars will soon release Griffin, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the team will first attempt to find a trade partner.
That’d be a feat for the Jaguars with Griffin due to make $11.5 million in base salary next season. If Jacksonville can’t find a trade partner, releasing Griffin would save the team $13,147,055 in cap space.
Griffin, 27, was a Pro Bowler with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 and joined the Jaguars in 2021 on a three-year, $40 million deal. In his first season with the team, Griffin earned a 73.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, the second highest grade on the team that year.
But Griffin struggled in his second season, recording a 61.8 grade in five games before landing on the injured reserve. The cornerback was targeted 32 times through five games and allowed 22 receptions for 264 yards and three touchdowns.
After the season, Griffin acknowledged the possibility that he wouldn’t return to the Jaguars, but told the Florida Times-Union that he was “staying hopeful” that he’d stay with the team another year.
