WATFORD, England (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram is likely to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears in what would be a boost for a team that arrived late to England because of Hurricane Milton.
The two-time Pro Bowl tight end — a favorite target of quarterback Trevor Lawrence — hasn't played since the season opener because of a hamstring injury.
Jags coach Doug Pederson said Saturday at the team's hotel outside London that Engram has been trending in the right direction and looked good at practice this week. He said he “would lean toward him playing in this game.”
The Jags arrived at 11 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Friday — about five hours later than usual for their annual trip to London — and didn't get to their hotel until 1:30 p.m. That meant no time for their usual full practice.
“With it being dark sooner, just wanted to get some meeting time and then just get the guys off their feet a little bit,” Pederson said.
The coach acknowledged some concern over a slow start against a Bears team that arrived on Tuesday.
“Obviously there’s that concern, I guess, slow start, sluggish, things of that nature, but ... guys have been here before, they know what it’s like," Pederson said. "They’re prepared and ready to go."
Lawrence said they’ll be ready at game time in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“That was the travel arrangements that we chose, that's kind of how we've always done it,” the quarterback said. "We have trust and faith in our process and how we do it.
“There's no excuses come Sunday," he added. “We've got to put a good product out there and go out and play well.”
The possible return of Engram would be a major boost. The tight end had career highs last season with 114 receptions and 963 yards. Officially, his game status is questionable.
“Obviously, we have some great chemistry,” Lawrence said. “He’s just a great, dynamic player that changes the game. Definitely it will be good to get him back, hopefully this week.”
Engram hurt his hamstring during pregame warmups before a Week 2 game against Cleveland.
The Jaguars are coming off their first win of the season — 37-34 over the Indianapolis Colts. Like last season, the Jags will play in consecutive weeks here. They face the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium next Sunday.
They recorded back-to-back wins in London a year ago, then won their next three to reach 6-2 but finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs.
The Bears are going for three straight victories.
Jags cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring) was ruled out for Sunday but he could be ready for next week’s game. His 21-day practice window was opened on Wednesday.
Under the current renovation plan, the Jags would be out of EverBank Stadium for the 2027 season. That could mean more London games.
“We may have to play three games or something over here, which would be OK,” Pederson said.
Those conversations are happening, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Saturday at a fan forum in London, though he didn't specify how many games could be moved.
“They are considering that. We’ve been talking about that,” he said in response to a fan's question about the possibility.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan told the Florida Times-Union that he supports Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke despite the team's 1-4 start.
Before the season, Khan had said this was the best Jags team yet and that “winning now” was his expectation.
Khan told the newspaper in an interview Saturday that he takes into account consecutive 9-8 records in Pederson's first two years. He said “I admire” what Baalke and Pederson have done.
“I still believe in them,” he said in the interview. “I believe in the players, I believe in the coaching staff. I believe in Trent.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Laurence (16), attends a press conference after a NFL football training session in Watford, near London, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, ahead of the game against the Chicago Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson speaks to the press after a NFL football training session in Watford, near London, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, ahead of the game against the Chicago Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Laurence (16), attends a press conference after a NFL football training session in Watford, near London, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, ahead of the game against the Chicago Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson speaks to the press after a NFL football training session in Watford, near London, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, ahead of the game against the Chicago Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
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WEEKEND COVERAGE
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For weekend stories, please click here for the Weekend Lookahead digest.
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TOP STORIES
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MIDEAST-WARS — Palestinians in northern Gaza described heavy Israeli bombardment in the hours after airstrikes killed at least 22 people, as Israel continued to tell people there and in southern Lebanon to get out of the way of its offensives against the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups. By Samy Madgy and Basem Mroue. SENT: 800 words, photos, video, audio. WITH: MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST. (sent).
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HURRICANE MILTON — Floridians recovering from Hurricane Milton spent much of Saturday searching for gas, with lines snaking around stations as a fuel shortage gripped the state. In St. Petersburg, scores of people lined up at a station that had no gas, hoping it would arrive soon. By Russ Bynum, Brendan Farrington and Ty O'Neil. SENT: 900 words, photos, videos, audio.
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ELECTION-2024-TRUMP — The White House race is coming down to battlegrounds like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, so why would Donald Trump venture into California, one of the most solidly Democratic states, just weeks before Election Day? There are practical reasons for him to visit a state he is almost certain to lose. By Michael R. Blood, Meg Kinnard, Thomas Beaumont and Nicholas Riccardi. SENT: 720 words, photos. Trump holds a roundtable in Henderson, Nevada, at 4 p.m. and a rally in Coachella, California, at 8 p.m.
ELECTION-2024-BLACK-MEN-OBAMA — Barack Obama’s callout to Black men who may be considering sitting out the election has touched a nerve among Democrats. Kamala Harris’ campaign is working hard trying to shore up their support and addressing questions about potential misogyny. By Matt Brown. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
SCI-NASA-EUROPA-CLIPPER-EXPLAINER — A massive NASA spacecraft is ready to set sail for Jupiter and its moon Europa. The craft named Europa Clipper will peer beneath the moon’s icy crust and determine whether conditions there could support life. Scientists are pretty sure there’s a vast hidden ocean at Europa, making the moon one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth. By Marcia Dunn. SENT: 960 words, photos.
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MORE NEWS
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ANCHORAGE-WILDLIFE CAMS — Alaska is known for its abundant wildlife, but you don’t have to travel far from Anchorage to see it. A Facebook group features the brown and black bears, moose, wolves and other creatures caught on webcams set up in the city’s largest park. SENT: 800 words, photos, video.
WIFE-CARRYING CONTEST — Contestants are set to hoist their partners and splash through water, jump over logs and trudge through muck during the North American Wife Carrying Championship in Maine on Saturday. SENT: 210 words.
BRITAIN-OBIT-SALMOND — Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who sought Scotland’s independence, dies at 69. SENT: 280 words, photo.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-BLACK JOBS — Donald Trump is promising the biggest deportation drive in U.S. history, a plan partly predicated on the notion that immigrants are stealing what he calls “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs.” But government data shows immigrant labor contributes to economic growth and provides promotional opportunities for native-born workers.
ELECTION-2024-HOUSE-SWING-DISTRICTS -- Voters in a ring of congressional districts encircling New York City where Republican candidates often do well — but where Donald Trump struggled in 2020 — could decide which party will control the House come January. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-HARRIS-MEDICAL-REPORT — Kamala Harris’ doctor says in a medical report that the 59-year-old vice president is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resiliency” required to serve as president. Her campaign hopes to use the moment to draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who’s released only limited information about his health over time, and raise questions about the 78-year-old’s fitness to serve. SENT: 640 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-SENATE-TEXAS — Rep. Colin Allred’s Senate bid in Texas could be Democrats’ best chance to flip a seat and preserve their thin Senate majority. But a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide office in 30 years. SENT: 1,150 words, photos, video.
ELECTION 2024-CALIFORNIA MINIMUM WAGE — Voters will decide in November whether California should raise its hourly minimum wage to $18 by 2026 and pay workers what would be the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. SENT: 950 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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TRANSIT SECURITY — Transit systems are building stronger, better security gates to avoid fare skippers. It’s part of an effort to win back customers concerned about safety. But does cracking down on ticketless riders really help eliminate violent crime? SENT: 1,090 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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BRITAIN-LABOUR-100-DAYS — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer marks 100 days in office on Saturday with little cause for celebration. Starmer’s center-left Labour Party was elected by a landslide on July 4, sweeping back to power after 14 years. But after weeks of stories about feuding, freebies and fiscal gloom, polls suggest Starmer’s personal approval rating has plummeted. SENT: 810 words, photos.
JAPAN-NOBEL PEACE — The recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is a fast-dwindling group of atomic bomb survivors. They are increasingly worried about their old age and the limited time to convey the firsthand horror they witnessed 79 years ago. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Nihon Hidankyo for its activism against nuclear weapons. SENT: 860 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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BE-WELL-DENSE-BREASTS — A new U.S. rule requires mammography centers to inform women about their breast density. The information isn’t entirely new for some women because many states already had similar requirements. Dense breasts can make it harder to spot cancer on a mammogram. SENT: 630 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BBA--ALDS-TIGERS-GUARDIANS - Baseball’s best pitcher all season, Tarik Skubal starts for Detroit as the Tigers, whose late-season kick got them into the playoffs, face Matthew Boyd and the Guardians in Game 5 of the AL Division Series. The winner advances to play the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts at 1:08 p.m.
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FILE - Designer Kim Jones acknowledges the applause of the audience at the end of the Fendi Spring-Summer 2021 Haute Couture fashion collection presented on Jan. 27, 2021 in Paris. British designer Kim Jones is stepping down from his role as artistic director of womenswear and couture at Fendi, parent group LVMH announced. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández, left, gets sunflower seeds to the face to celebrate his solo home run as Mookie Betts (50) looks on during the seventh inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Tindor Sikunyongana welds using a diesel generator in Lusaka, Zambia, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
This image made from a video provided by Curt Fargo shows a radio tower collapsing after a hot-air balloon struck it during the famous festival in Albuquerque, N.M., Oct. 11, 2024. (Curt Fargo via AP)
In this image made from video provided byTeller County Sheriff’s Office, emergency responders work at the site of a mining accident in Cripple Creek, Colo, on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
Workers install a metal gate that will prevent customers from entering a MetroLink platform without a valid fare card in an effort to increase security Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Sheraton Grand Hotel workers Lupe Ventura, center, and Alex Ivanitsky, right, who are represented by hospitality workers union United Here Local 49, participate in a strike authorization vote in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. The union is asking for higher wages and the reversal of COVID-era staffing cuts. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP)
Donna Gail Shaw checks her trail camera on Sept. 26, 2024, near a populated neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
A visitor prays in front of the Peace Statue at the Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, a day after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for its activism against nuclear weapons. (Kyodo News via AP)
Hindu devotees offer prayers at the Dhakeshwari National Temple during the Durgapuja festival in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)
FILE - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media in Rome, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Phil Noble/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Unpainted Boeing 737 Max aircraft are seen on Sept. 24, 2024, at the company's facilities in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures to supporters at a campaign rally at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Reno, Nev. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
FILE - Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)
A destroyed building stands on Manasota Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
