Marcell Dareus, the Jacksonville Jaguars' starting defensive tackle, will have surgery on Thursday to repair a core muscle injury, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting.
Rapoport added that the surgery is being performed by Dr. William Meyers, "who will perform the straightforward procedure that has a very high rate of full recovery, generally taking 4-6 weeks."
A standout at Alabama (he helped the Crimson Tide capture the 2009 national championship), Dareus was the third overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. An immediate starter for the Buffalo Bills, Dareus earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2013. In 2014, he was tabbed as an All-Pro after recording a career-high 10 sacks and a dozen tackles for loss.
Midway through the 2017 season, the Bills traded Dareus to the Jaguars for a future late-round draft pick. Dareus, in a reserve role, helped Jacksonville advance to the AFC Championship Game. He started in 15 games in 2018 -- his first full season with the Jaguars -- and has started in six games this season. In 30 games with the Jaguars, Dareus has tallied 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss.
Earlier this month, Dareus was cited for marijuana possession after initially being pulled over by police for speeding. In 2014, he was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He served a four-game suspension in 2016 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
With Dareus out, backup Taven Bryan will likely assume the role as Jacksonville's starting defensive tackle. Bryan, the 29th overall pick in the 2018 draft, has recorded eight tackles and one sack through seven games.
The Jaguars are 3-4 (following an 0-2 start) entering Sunday's against the New York Jets. Jacksonville is a six-point favorite to beat New York, who is 1-5 after being blown out at home against the New England Patriots on "Monday Night Football."
