Jaguars waive OL after Maason Smith, Ruke Orhorhoro trade
TL;DR
The Jacksonville Jaguars waived offensive lineman Cooper Hodges after trading Maason Smith to the Falcons for Ruke Orhorhoro. Hodges struggled with injuries and did not play in the 2024 season.
Key points
- Jaguars waived offensive lineman Cooper Hodges
- Hodges was a seventh-round pick in 2023
- He missed the entire 2023 season due to a knee injury
- Hodges appeared in three games in 2024 before being waived
- Jaguars traded Maason Smith to the Falcons for Ruke Orhorhoro
Along with trading Maason Smith to the Falcons for Ruke Orhorhoro, the Jacksonville Jaguars also announced that they waived offensive lineman Cooper Hodges.
Hodges was originally waived with a failed physical designation in June of 2024 by the Jaguars. After clearing waivers, he was re-signed by Jacksonville and placed on the physically unable to perform list. He remained there for the season and did not appear in any games.
Hodges was a seventh-round pick for the Jaguars in 2023 out of Appalachian State. In 2024, he appeared in three games at guard, totaling 63 snaps, according to PFF. Hodges also appeared in eight games on special teams.
Hodges has navigated injuries during his time with the Jaguars, missing his rookie season in 2023 with a knee injury, and he was then placed on IR in November of the 2024 season with a lower leg injury.
Hodges departure now opens up a roster spot on the Jaguars' 90-man roster, clearing a path for James Gladstone to make an addition to the offensive line unit in the NFL draft -- something that very well may have already been in play even more if Hodges had not been let go.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars roster moves: OL Cooper Hodges wavied
Q&A
Why did the Jaguars trade Maason Smith to the Falcons?
The Jaguars traded Maason Smith to the Falcons in exchange for Ruke Orhorhoro to strengthen their roster.
What led to Cooper Hodges being waived by the Jaguars?
Cooper Hodges was waived after being placed on the physically unable to perform list due to ongoing injury issues.
What was Cooper Hodges' performance during his time with the Jaguars?
Cooper Hodges, a seventh-round pick in 2023, played in three games in 2024 but struggled with injuries, missing his rookie season and being placed on IR.
