Wingard suffered a knee injury in the Jaguars’ preseason game against the Chiefs and will see his absence stretch into the regular season. Wingard played in all 17 games for the Jaguars last season while making two starts. He totaled 45 tackles and one interception and has been a reliable backup for the Jaguars since joining the team as a UDFA in 2019.

A 26-year-old depth piece, Wingard played 217 regular season snaps in 2022. That number was way down from Wingard's 2020-21 marks, but the Jags must appreciate his experience in the system and special teams ability. Wingard is far from an embarrassment when forced onto the field on defense. 

The Jags extended a right of first refusal tender to Wingard at the start of free agency. With no takers on the open market, he returns to Jacksonville for roughly $2.4 million. Wingard, normally a special teams player, was elevated to a starting role in Jacksonville's secondary last year. He earned 88 combined tackles, one interception, and a sack. Wingard was solid in coverage in 2021 and should return to his starting gig for the upcoming season.

The tender is worth around $2.4 million. Wingard primarily contributed on special teams early in his career, but he was a 15-game starter for the Jaguars last season, recording an interception and 88 tackles across 932 snaps. Because it is a right of first refusal tender, Jacksonville will not be awarded any compensation if Wingard signs somewhere else.