Jalen Ramsey sat out practice Wednesday due to a supposed sore back. He'll now be away from the field -- and the Jaguars -- for an entirely different reason.
Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone announced Wednesday night that Ramsey is flying to Nashville, Tenn., for the birth of his second child.
"Months ago in the offseason, Jalen notified me that he was expecting the birth of his second child in late September," Marrone said in a statement. "We spoke about this recently and again today after practice and decided that it was best for Jalen to fly to Nashville tonight after meetings to be with his family during the birth of their daughter. He will return to the team when he's ready, and we will provide an update at that time."
Marrone did not specify a time in which he expects Ramsey to return to the team and did not say if he anticipates having the star cornerback available for his team's Sunday showdown in Denver against the Broncos.
Ramsey's agent David Mulugheta replied to the statement on Twitter to thank Marrone.
"Thanks coach," Mulugheta wrote, "Jalen wouldn't miss this moment for anything."
And so continues what has been an eventual few weeks for Ramsey in Duval. It all began Sept. 16 when news broke that he had requested a trade out of Jacksonville, citing issues with how he's being used on defense.
Ramsey then played a few days later on Thursday Night Football as the Jaguars scored their first win of the season by taking down the Tennessee Titans. In the aftermath of that game, it seemed there was a chance fences could be mended, and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported last Saturday a trade did not appear to be imminent.
Things now once again appear to be in flux. Ramsey skipped Monday's practice with a sudden illness, and did not practice Wednesday due to a back issue that had Marrone chuckling to himself when trying to explain the situation to reporters (the Jaguarslater clarified that Ramsey reported back soreness during the fourth quarter vs. the Titans).
