Despite suffering a high ankle sprain last weekend, Marqise Lee is confident he'll be ready to roll when the regular season kicks off. Rookie tailback Leonard Fournette, who is dealing with a foot ailment, has a similar sentiment regarding his return.
The Jaguars' fourth-year wideout said Saturday that he expects to play in Jacksonville's season opener against the Texans, per the team. Fournette also said that he expects to make his NFL debut on the same date, saying "that's nothing to worry about."
Lee admitted that when the injury first occured and he had to be carted off, he thought he had broken his leg. The Jaguars caught a major break after finding out it wasn't as severe as it looked, as Lee is slated to be a key piece in Jacksonville's aerial attack after setting career-best marks in catches, yards and touchdowns last season.
Per ESPN, the former second-round pick out of USC is no longer wearing a protective boot on his right foot, signaling that his recovery is heading toward the right path.
The Jaguars boast a deep and talented receiving corps consisting of Lee, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and impressive rookieDede Westbrook. Finding the quarterback to take advantage of their skill sets, however, is proving to be a problem.
Fournette did not play Thursday against the Buccaneers while nursing his foot injury. He said Saturday that his health has improved in the last week, and it's unrelated to the ankle issues he dealt with at LSU last season.
Expect the Jaguars to play it cautiously for the remainder of the preseason with the No. 4 overall pick. The last thing the team wants to do is rush him back and risk a further setback before the season commences.