Photo: Wide receiver Jarvis Landry at Jaguars rookie minicamp; Credit: Zach Goodall
Eight wide receivers took the practice field at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville for the Jaguars’ Friday rookie minicamp. One was not like the others.
That was veteran, five-time Pro Bowl pass-catcher Jarvis Landry, trying out for a roster spot after a year out of football.
“It’s always good to be back out here,” Landry expressed.
Landry finished the 2022 campaign on the injured reserve with the New Orleans Saints, nursing an ankle injury that lingered into the offseason, leaving him unsigned in free agency and without a team in 2023.
Refreshed and, as he put it, humbled by the season off, Landry spoke kindly of the opportunity Jacksonville awarded him and was generally pleased by his showing with the Jaguars’ rookies.
“I felt pretty good,” Landry said. “I’ve got some cleanup things to do, obviously. But for the most part, I felt pretty good, caught the ball well.”
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Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson previewed Landry’s workout before it began, suggesting he was invited as Jacksonville scans for potential contributors to fill out its roster after free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.
“You want to be able to put eyes on as many players as you can,” Pederson said, adding that Landry was in town on no more than a “tryout-type basis.”
“He’s obviously played several years in this league and been a talented guy and just see where he’s at. He was out of ball I believe in 2023, and 2022 was kind of his last time, he’s been hurt a little bit. We’ll see where he’s at health-wise, and just see where he’s at.”
Before his down 2022 season with the Saints when he caught just 25 passes, Landry was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015-19 with Miami and Cleveland. He hauled in 688 receptions for 7,598 yards and 37 touchdowns, adding another 239 yards and five scores rushing.
Landry entered the workout without the learning curve young players typically experience in rookie minicamp as a result.
Expectations were adjusted accordingly, with the team primarily monitoring Landry’s physical and athletic abilities and bodily reaction to performing football activities again.
“We understand with Jarvis, he’s played a ton of football, right, so we know that,” Pederson stated. “Maybe there’s a different expectation with a guy like Jarvis, but I think more than anything just kind of seeing where he is physically, mentally. The rookies, they don’t know anything right now, so it’s different.”
Landry echoed Pederson’s sentiment. He’s testing himself this weekend, curious if he can continue to perform at the level he did previously.
“Just [wanted to see] if I can really do it, if I still really want to do it, you know? Pushing myself to those limits,” Landry conveyed.
“Being out of football last year was very tough. Like I said, it made me grounded. But it also made me humble and grateful to have the opportunity, even like this. This is a good stepping stone toward the next chapter of what I’m looking for.”
Landry will participate in the second day of minicamp on Saturday, hoping to leave a strong impression on the Jaguars’ front office and secure a spot in the league he once led in receptions, with 112 in 2017.
Jacksonville, freshly removed from a second-consecutive winning season for the first time since 2004-05, appeals to Landry should he receive another chance in the pros.
“It’s a good opportunity. I’m about a 40-minute flight from here. So it’s a good opportunity,” Landry said. “Not only that, you know, this is a great football team that’s on the cusp of doing some really great things inside of this division and the league.”
