Report: Jaguars expected to move on from CB Shaq Griffin in coming days, open up cap space

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Jaguars are going to move on from veteran cornerback Shaq Griffin in the coming days either via trade or release.

Griffin, 27, signed a three-year $40 million contract, guaranteeing him $29 million and $24.5 million guaranteed at signing with the team during the 2021 offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Griffin is due $11.5 million in base salary this year. On March 19, $4.5 million of that salary is set to become fully guaranteed and Griffin will be owed a $1 million roster bonus. He is set to count $17,147,059 against the team’s cap. If the Jaguars were to cut Griffin, they’d save $13,147,059, opening up plenty of cap space to re-sign their own free agents.

The veteran corner has played in and started 19 games over the last two years, missing the majority of the 2022 campaign due to a back injury that eventually required surgery.

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin (26) reacts to picking up a fumble turnover from Cleveland Browns during the first quarter of a preseason NFL game Friday, Aug. 12, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Griffin accounted for 78 tackles and 11 pass breakups during his time in Jacksonville. He was unable to haul in an interception.

Earlier this week, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke was asked about Griffin’s status with the team and the speculation surrounding his inevitable release or trade. Baalke indicated that Griffin continues to rehab his back, but offered no other insight into what the team thinks of him on the roster.

“Right now, he’s just rehabbing,” said Baalke. “Shaq came into the season with a bad back … never got completely healthy and obviously at some point later in the season — I think it was after the Colts game if I’m not mistaken – [he] had to take a step back, had to go in and have the surgery done. So, right now he’s just in the rehab phase.”

Griffin indicated that he would like to figure out a way to remain in Jacksonville, but was uncertain of his future with the team when asked about it during his end-of-year interview with the media.

If Griffin is released in the coming days, it would likely come before free agency opens on March 15, when several of the team’s players are set to become unrestricted free agents.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars set to move on from CB Shaquill Griffin, per report