Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette lost his appeal for his one-game suspension Wednesday and will miss this weekend's game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Fournette was suspended by the NFL for one game for violations of unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness following a fight Sunday against Buffalo defensive end Shaq Lawson.
"It's disappointing," Jaguars coach Doug Marrone told reporters Wednesday. "It's a reflection on me."
Fournette and Lawson were ejected from Buffalo's 24-21 win after a scuffle late in the third quarter. Jaguars receiver Donte Moncrief came down with a contested catch near Buffalo's goal line and both squads went back and forth in a shoving match as Moncrief and Bills cornerback Levi Wallace fought for possession. Fournette and Lawson engaged each other during the fight and later had to be separated in the tunnel.
"Your brothers are getting attacked, they're fighting out there, you're going to have to go there and also protect your own, but at the same time, professional now, I mean, you can't have that," Fournette told the press on Sunday. "I apologize to all those kids out there who look up to me and all of our fans. The biggest thing is this whole loss, totally on me. I take full responsibility." Fournette also issued an apology Sunday on Instagram.
With Fournette out this weekend, Carlos Hyde and T.J. Yeldon should carry the load against the Colts.
Fournette is eligible to return to the team on Dec. 3, following Jacksonville's game against Indianapolis and ahead of the team's Week 14 matchup against Tennessee.
It will be the seventh game missed for Fournette this season, as he was previously sidelined for six games across two stints with a nagging hamstring injury. Fournette has 90 carries for 314 yards and four touchdowns in five games, as he carried 18 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Bills for his best performance of the season.
