Jalen Ramsey has been accused of making up both an illness and an injury this week to get out of having to practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and head coach Doug Marrone made it clear on Wednesday that he is not going to take the heat off the star cornerback.
Shortly after the Jaguars announced that Ramsey will not practice Wednesday because of a back injury, Doug Marrone told reporters he has no idea when or where the injury was sustained. He also said Ramsey didn’t mention anything about his back bothering him during or after last Thursday’s win over the Tennessee Titans.
Marrone was asked about Jalen Ramsey’s back injury that’ll keep him out of practice. Says Ramsey told them his back tightened up. Marrone had no idea when that happened. Said Ramsey didn’t mention anything after last week’s game.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 25, 2019
Marrone then admitted Ramsey has dealt with similar issues in the past.
#Jaguars HC Doug Marrone said Jalen Ramsey is feeling better. He’s not sure when his back tightness came about, but it’s happened before.
“It’s normal. His back has gotten tight before.”
— JaguarMaven (@JaguarMaven) September 25, 2019
Obviously, there has been speculation that Ramsey is making things up to avoid practicing and thus further pressure the Jags into trading him. It may end up working, as he is trending toward not playing against the Broncos on Sunday.
The Jaguars want to keep Ramsey, which you can understand given the caliber of player he is. If they do trade him, they want to give other teams the impression that they are doing so reluctantly in hopes of driving up the asking price. At least one team has reportedly made a significant offer for Ramsey, but the Jags haven’t shown a willingness to part ways with him yet.
