JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s still wait-and-see mode for two injured Jaguars players.
Offensive tackle Cam Robinson and receiver Marqise Lee haven’t reached a point yet where the team feels like they’ll be ready for the regular season, coach Doug Marrone said on Saturday.
As the main pieces of their respective units, that’s not news that the team wanted to hear.
“Those guys are really trying hard, but today was kind of a benchmark to try and kind of get them back. I don’t know if they’re going to be ready for the season, so they’re working hard, the trainers are working hard, everybody’s working hard, but we just can’t get them over the hump, so we’ve got to go and start preparing to play without them, unfortunately,” Marrone said.
“And it could change, but it’ll be tough.”
Lee suffered a devastating injury in the 2018 preseason and missed the entire year after signing a $34 million contract extension with the team with $16.5 million in guarantees.
Robinson, the projected starter at left tackle, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the opening quarter of last year’s 31-20 win over New England. He missed the rest of the season. Robinson, the team’s second-round pick out of Alabama in 2017, is entering his third season.
Those are two major missing pieces for the Jaguars and new quarterback Nick Foles. Marrone said that the left tackle spot remains open in Robinson’s absence, with players like Josh Wells, Leonard Wester and Cedric Ogbuehi all potential starters.
“You like to get them back this week, kind of work them back a little bit,” Marrone said of Lee and Robinson. “Third week, kind of make a decision on whether they’ll play or not. Difficult to do anything afterwards, kind of puts a little bit more pressure if they’re ready and they haven’t done anything.”