When the Jacksonville Jaguars hit the practice fields at Miller Electric Center on Wednesday, linebacker Devin Lloyd was back with his teammates for the first time in more than two weeks.
Lloyd, 25, didn’t make the trip to London after undergoing surgery to repair a thumb injury suffered in Week 3. Now the second-year linebacker is hoping to get back in the lineup as soon as possible, regardless if that means playing with a cast on his right hand.
“Whoever made it, I forget the name, they did a really good job,” Lloyd said of the cast he was wearing at practice. “It’s comfortable, I’ve got a lot of motion, it feels fine. … It’s football at the end of the day. I’ve still got my four fingers, so it’s football.”
#Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd was back out at practice today after missing the London series.
He was sporting a cast on his injured thumb, which required surgery due to a fracture: pic.twitter.com/EpjjFitykQ
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) October 11, 2023
Lloyd’s second season in the NFL was off to a strong, albeit quiet start before the injury. The 2022 first-round pick had 19 tackles, one fumble recovery, and three pass deflections through the first three weeks.
While his 58.7 grade from Pro Football Focus doesn’t jump off the page, it’s significantly higher than the 35.2 grade his replacement, Chad Muma, has through the first five weeks.
Still, the Jaguars won back-to-back games during the London trip to get their season back on track. And while his team was getting its mojo back in England, Lloyd was doing everything he could to get back on the field sooner rather than later.
“Just rehabbing,” Lloyd said. “It’s kind of tough because I was limited in what I could do. So just rehab, get some motion, get the swelling down. Just basically do stuff to accelerate the healing process. But there’s only so much you can do too.
“I watched a lot of football. Sometimes you get back and watch the team, watch teams around the league, and just be ready mentally.”
Lloyd was listed by the Jaguars as a limited participant in practice Wednesday.
