If the Jacksonville Jaguars were hoping to trade for Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne before the NFL trade deadline, they may have to pivot to Plan B. 

If there is a Plan B. 

On Friday, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that Payne had suffered a “significant” foot injury in practice and is expected to miss enough time to warrant a trip to injured reserve. 

If Payne is placed on IR, he would have to miss at least four games. With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, on November 10, the Jaguars must now look elsewhere if they had interest in trading for Payne. 

Over the last couple of weeks, Payne has become a very popular hypothetical trade target for the Jaguars. With Jacksonville owning a 2.5-game lead in the AFC South, the Jaguars are in a great position not only to repeat as division champs, but to go on a run and reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. 

However, despite their sizable advantage in the South, the Jaguars appear to be a small step behind both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills as favorites to win the AFC. 

The Jaguars have proven they belong in conversations about the NFL’s best teams, but they still have areas that could use reinforcements. 

One of the those areas is along the defensive line, specifically the interior of the line. 

Aside from Arik Armstead, Jacksonville doesn’t have anyone who can create consistent pressure from the interior, making Payne both a logical and popular target for the Jaguars. 

In fact, Payne was number one on my list of the five players Jacksonville should target at the trade deadline. 

Payne is a pending free agent playing for a last-place team, which only raised the likelihood he would be dealt before the deadline. 

While an exact timeline for Payne to return isn’t known, there is a very real possibility that he will miss the rest of the season. 

Even if Payne could return after only a few weeks, the chances of any team, especially the Jaguars, trading for him are practically zero, as they should be. 

We will likely never know if the Jaguars would have traded for Payne, but the pairing made a lot of sense. 

Payne would have been a great fit in Anthony Campanile’s defense. Having two DTs who can rush the quarterback playing next to run-stuffing monster Davon Hamilton could have turned the interior of Jacksonville’s defensive line from a small weakness into a strength. 

Now it seems the Jaguars will have to look elsewhere if they want to add a defensive tackle.