Jacksonville Jaguars’ coach Mike Mularkey backs RB Rashad Jennings for season opener – NFL News
Jacksonville Jaguars’ coach Mike Mularkey has not ruled out running back Maurice Jones-Drew yet in spite of his backing of RB Rashad Jennings to start in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 09.
Maurice is on a holdout over the Jaguars’ refusal to work out a fresh deal for him and Rashad’s superb performance in the preseason phase has added to the RB's difficulties to convince the managers to agree fresh terms with him.
He has missed the entire offseason programme of the team, and a section of media has reported that the player’s miss of training camp has accumulated a fine of about $1 million on him. The coach is authorised to impose penalty of $30,000 for each day the
player misses training camp.
Although Mularkey has not hinted at levy of the fine on the player – the coach still hopes for Maurice’s unconditional return – if he opts for the choice it will be too costly decision for the player.
The Jaguars in the meantime are running out of the time as far as their decision about Maurice is concerned, and as reflective in the consistency of the holdout the player is least likely to show up for the season opener.
Only comments from him so far are his hopes for continuing to be a Jaguar and that things work out for him in the near future.
With Maurice card still inactive, the Jaguars have given an opportunity to Rashad and he has so far impressed everyone with his form and potential.
He averages 4.9 yards per carry in the games he has played in the preseason phase and has a complete backing from the head coach to make himself available on the starting line in the season opener.
In the meantime, the coach hopes for a positive development on MJD front and if somehow the RB agrees to play on existing terms it will be great news for the coach.
The Jaguars first-year coach as a matter of fact is not much known to the player as since joining the team in the official capacity in January this year he hardly had an opportunity to interact with the RB given he has spent all the offseason on the fence.
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