Jaguars Fournette Has “Minor Hamstring Injury”
By David Levin
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone told the media on Monday that running back Leonard Fournette has a “minor” hamstring injury and is list as day-to-day.
The buzz with Jacksonville Jaguars this week should be about the New England Patriots coming to town in a rematch of the AFC Championship game. Instead, it might be about the status of star running back Leonard Fournette, who is dealing with a “minor” hamstring injury, according to head coach Doug Marrone.
Fournette, who led the Jaguars with 1,040 yards rushing last season, left the game in the second quarter and did not return. It was reported that the former LSU star would try to give it a go in the second half of the 20-15 win over the New York Giants, but that did not happen.
Now, with the team’s biggest game of the season (so far) in front of them, Fournette’s status is up in the air.
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"“Doc said it’s a minor hamstring injury so we’re just going to treat it during the week,” Marrone said. “We’ve got a lot of time and see where it is, but you guys saw him in the locker room walking around.”"
Per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com and other local sports reports, Fournette was seen walking around the locker room on Monday with a sleeve on his hamstring. DiRocco also said the 2017 first-round draft pick “politely” declined to talk about the injury.
The Jaguars have both T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant on the roster and no other replacement. Losing the power game Fournette possesses would be a huge blow to the Jaguars game plan of using the running game to set up the pass.
Yeldon has replaced Fournette in the lineup before, the first time being the seventh game of the 2017 season against the Indianapolis Colts where he ran for 122 yards and a touchdown. Grant is a change of pace type of back who got a few touches on Sunday.
The goal is to ease Fournette back into practice this week with further injuring his hamstring. He told Marrone it is something he had in high school and feels like it is the same kind of situation.
"“It’s unclear on which play Fournette suffered the injury, but he caught a screen pass for no gain on third-and-long and then went to the sideline while the Jaguars kicked a field goal to take a 6-3 lead midway through the second quarter,” DiRocco wrote. “Trainers worked on Fournette’s hamstring for several minutes before taking him to the locker room with 5 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the first half.”"
This is by far the biggest game on the Jaguars schedule this season. The offense did not produce much in the second half of last weekend’s win in New York. The defense once again came up with a touchdown on an interception return by Myles Jack to preserve the win.
Jacksonville managed just 305 yards of total offense and 137 yards rushing against the Giants.