Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said his seven-year-old son, Wesley, is in remission after fighting acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Hines-Allen missed Week 18 of the 2024 season following the initial diagnosis but is back at work as Jacksonville ramps up for the 2025 regular season.
Hines-Allen said on Sunday that Wesley is in “full remission.”
“We’ve got one more phase right now, and then after that, at the end of August, we should be done with all the treatment. But he’s doing well. Back in school,” Hines-Allen said. “Living a seven-year-old life, which is fun, and getting in trouble.”
Now just 2.5 sacks shy of the franchise record for career sacks, Allen, 28, has a few numbers in mind this season. Up first is clearing Tony Brackens’ team mark (55 career sacks) to claim the top spot in the Jaguars’ record books. Allen said the next figure, 23, is also a target. It represents the NFL single-season record for QB sacks.
“My goal is to break the record and not really focus on it,” Hines-Allen said. “I just know that if I handle what I need to handle, stay healthy, know what I’m doing, communicate, anticipate what’s happening, then everything’s going to play off the way it’s supposed to.”
Another coaching change, a normal if not accepted part of the offseason since Allen was drafted seventh overall in 2019, helped get him focused because of the amount of unexpected support from unfamiliar bosses.
“They text me dang near every day, especially during the offseason: ‘How’s Wesley?”’ Hines-Allen said. “Not even ‘Josh, how are you doing? How’s your mental?’ It’s ‘How’s Wesley?’ They message family first at all times and they really truly mean it. The last staff, they did as well. When I told (former Jaguars coach) Doug (Pederson), they said, ‘You’re OK. Take your time.’ Even coming in here, for them (the new staff) to embrace me as … ‘How’s Wesley? How’s your family? How’s your wife? How’s your family doing?’ Then it’s, ‘How’s training?
“They really truly care, not just asking to ask, just asking to really see how I’m really feeling.”
Hines-Allen and his wife started Four One For All, a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness and resources for childhood cancer.
–Field Level Media
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