Anton Harrison Goes on IR and Walker Little Protects Trevor Lawrence Against the Texans in London

The Jacksonville Jaguars placed left tackle Anton Harrison on injured reserve Tuesday, and he is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee when the team returns from London. Walker Little, who replaced Harrison in Sunday's 19-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, is in line to start at left tackle when the 4-1 Jaguars face the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

The IR move guarantees Harrison misses at least four games. How long beyond that depends on what the surgeon finds: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported a range of three to five weeks for a clean scope, or three to four months if there is more damage, and local reporting has noted that a serious finding would likely end his season.

What happened and why it matters

Harrison went down with a noncontact knee injury against the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the first of Jacksonville's two straight London games. The 2023 first-round pick moved from right tackle to left tackle in training camp and had played well on the blind side. He has missed only three career games, so the Jaguars have rarely had to plan around his absence.

The rest of the Week 5 win made the stakes clear. Trevor Lawrence threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-39 passing, Parker Washington caught two touchdowns among his 124 receiving yards, and Cam Little hit a 57-yard field goal as time expired. That is a passing offense with momentum, and it now has to keep that momentum with a reshuffled line.

Walker Little is not a typical backup

The reason this is not a five-alarm situation is Little himself. He is a veteran swing lineman who knows the offense, and he played 31 snaps after Harrison went down on Sunday with a strong pass-blocking grade from PFF. He is the kind of swing tackle most teams would like to have.

The problem is the opponent. Houston's defense is built around two edge rushers, Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, who combined for 27 regular-season sacks in 2025, and the Texans can line either up over the left tackle. Even a capable backup is going to see more one-on-one pressure in a game where Houston is desperate at 1-4. Reports have also indicated Jacksonville's interior line has been shuffled by a back injury to guard Patrick Mekari, which means Little is not stepping into a fully settled group.

Fantasy fallout

Trevor Lawrence stays a QB1 option, but with a lower floor than last week. The Texans' pass rush is the matchup most likely to punish a line change, and sacks and hurried throws are the obvious risk. He is still a start in most one-QB leagues on the strength of his recent form; just set expectations closer to steady than spectacular.

Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington feel it in different ways. Pressure tends to shorten the passing tree, which helps Washington's quick-game role and hurts the deep shots that drive Thomas' ceiling. Washington is a reasonable WR3 after his breakout Sunday; Thomas remains a WR2 with more variance than usual.

Bhayshul Tuten could see a bump in work. Tuten carried 22 times for 72 yards against the Eagles, and teams protecting a backup tackle often lean into the run and quick passes. Volume makes him a solid RB2 even without big efficiency.

Texans D/ST moves into the streaming conversation. A pass rush with Anderson and Hunter against a backup left tackle is about as favorable a setup as a defense can ask for.

Houston's offense has its own news to absorb: Marvin Harrison Jr. arrived by trade and David Montgomery is week-to-week with a groin injury, leaving Woody Marks as the lead back. That context is covered in detail elsewhere on Verdexed, but it means both sides of this London game are integrating changes on the fly.

Betting angle

Jacksonville opened as a short favorite of around a field goal, with a total in the low-to-mid 40s across most books. The Harrison news is mostly priced in, since he was carted off on Sunday and his absence was assumed, but the diagnosis is worse than a simple sprain, which matters for anyone considering Jacksonville futures or division prices over the next month.

For Sunday specifically, the sharper question is how this shapes the game script. A pass rush advantage for Houston points toward a lower-scoring, field-position game, which fits the modest total. The Jaguars needed a 57-yard walk-off kick to beat Philadelphia, a reminder of how thin their margins can be. A short favorite with a weakened blind side in a neutral-site game is the type of spread where the underdog getting points has a clear path. Verdexed's game probabilities are at /nfl/predictions, and the full card is at /blog/nfl-week-6-picks-2026.

What to do in your league

1. Keep starting Trevor Lawrence in one-QB leagues, but avoid him in cash-style formats this week. 2. Stream the Texans D/ST if your usual defense is on bye or in a bad matchup. 3. Start Bhayshul Tuten as an RB2; the game plan likely leans on him. 4. Treat Brian Thomas Jr. as a boom-or-bust WR2 and Parker Washington as a WR3 with a steadier floor. 5. Do not drop Jacksonville offensive pieces over this injury. Little is a capable starter, and the long-term hit is modest unless the surgery reveals more damage.

What's next

The first answer comes after the Jaguars return from London, when Harrison has his scope. A clean procedure points to a return a few weeks after his IR minimum; anything more significant would make Little the left tackle for the rest of the year. Either way, Jacksonville's line will be measured against Houston's edge pair on Sunday, and how Little holds up at Wembley will tell fantasy managers and bettors a lot about how the next month looks.