The Jacksonville Jaguars were in the middle of the pack in sacks allowed per game in 2023, ranking 14th (2.4). Jacksonville is now adding someone to assist its interior offensive line by signing center Mitch Morse.
Jacksonville Jaguars Sign C Mitch Morse
Mitch Morse is a 6’6″, 305-pound center who has logged 126 games and 126 starts throughout his career with the Kansas City Chiefs (2015-2018) and Buffalo Bills (2019-2023). He’s now the newest member of the Jaguars, following his signing on Monday, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Morse is set to earn $10.5 million ($7 million guaranteed) over the life of a two-year deal. The 31-year-old center played under current Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson when the latter served as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator during his rookie season.
Buffalo initially signed Morse to a four-year, $44.5 million contract, making him the highest-paid center in the league at the time. He signed a two-year contract extension on March 14, 2022, for $19.5 million. On March 6, he was released after five seasons with the team. As one of the league’s top centers, Morse started in all 77 games that he appeared in with the Bills.
Buffalo entered the offseason with the projected highest amount over the cap at $44 million, per USA Today. Morse was released along with safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White. Jacksonville most recently signed five-year pro, defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi, to a one-year contract.
What Does This Mean for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Jacksonville was set to lose 19 players in free agency. Of the 19 players, the Jaguars are set to be without G Tyler Chatley and OT Blake Hance. Chatley played 17 games and made six starts this season and previously served as a fill-in at center. Hance played in 17 games, making one start for Jacksonville in 2023.
The Jaguars have made a much-needed upgrade to their center position, bringing in a nine-year veteran who is a former Pro Bowler and has a ton of playoff experience. Luke Fortner previously served as the team’s starting center, being penalized five times and allowing four sacks in 1,163 offensive snaps. By comparison, Morse was penalized five times, played 1,128 snaps, and only allowed one sack in 2023.
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One concern for Morse is that he’s had six documented concussions throughout his career. Per an article from the Journal of Neurotrauma, published in March 2015, “linebackers and offensive linemen had the highest concussion rates per 1000 athletic exposures.” Playing the position for as long as Morse has, at the level that he has, comes with more risks as his career goes on.
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