JACKSONVILLE – With Arik Armstead, the focus is on the big picture.

Head Coach Liam Coen on Tuesday discussed the veteran defensive tackle, who is considered a key part of the defensive line and who remains out of 2025 Training Camp with a back issue.

Coen said there’s no panic on this front. Because it’s still early.

“The key is just making sure he’s healthy and ready to go for the first game,” Coen said following a two-and-a-half hour practice in helmets and pads at the Miller Electric Center Tuesday.

Armstead, who signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent before the 2024 NFL season, was listed as the starting defensive tackle on the unofficial depth chart this week after playing mostly at defensive end last season.

He has practiced sparingly thus far in camp and is considered day-to-day with a back injury.

“He’s a veteran,” Coen said. “He’ll probably know how to get himself ready to go, I would hope. Ultimately it’s a long season, as we know. Not to say that early ones aren’t as important as late ones, but it is a long season and we’re really just trying to get him as healthy as possible.”

Coen was asked if he expected Armstead, an 11-year veteran who was named the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year, to play against the Carolina Panthers in the 2025 regular-season opener at EverBank Stadium on September 7.

“I would think so,” Coen said. “It’s hard to say.”

With second-year defensive tackle Maason Smith remaining on the physically unable to perform list to start camp, the Jaguars on Monday signed veteran defensive lineman Austin Johnson – a 10-year veteran who has played with the Tennessee Titans (2016-2019), New York Giants (2020-2021), Los Angeles Chargers (2022-2023) and Buffalo Bills (2024).

“He made a nice play already in team run [Tuesday],” Coen said. “We brought in some depth and competition. We’ll continue to get those guys some great reps. I felt the D-Line a little more today, whether in the run game or in the protection stuff.

“I felt more of a presence in the rush. That was encouraging, but we absolutely need to continue to improve.”