See below for update as of 9/3
Going into training camp, Jaguars backup RB Rashad Jennings was considered the No. 1 must-have handcuff for 2011 after RB Maurice Jones-Drew's knee problems over last season and the offseason. It was hard not to envision Jennings having fantasy value even on his own with the notion that the Jags wanted to scale back MJD's involvement in order to keep him fresh and injury free for the entire year.
That notion may come to a screeching halt.
Jennings' preseason has been anything but injury free. In the preseason opener, he suffered a concussion against the Patriots and missed a week of practice. Nothing to be alarmed about. He'll be fine. Well, it now appears that the knee injury Jennings suffered last weekend against the Bills might be more serious than initially thought.
Florida Times-Union's Gene Frenette reports that there is growing concern with Jennings after he was spotted on crutches Tuesday. Here is his full report:
The Jaguars aren’t providing much injury information, but there’s some concern about backup RB Rashad Jennings since he was seen on crutches Tuesday from a knee injury suffered in last week’s game. The seriousness of the injury is not known. If Jennings can’t play in the season opener or is put on the PUP list (missing first six games), then that could open up an opportunity for DuJuan Harris or Richard Murphy to make the 53-man roster.
For those who have MJD and Jennings, it might be time to make some room for second-year Deji Karim as even more insurance. Karim (5'8/209) is much smaller than Jennings (6'1' / 228), but has running ability similar to MJD and could be an attractive option in larger leagues.
The team's running game was expected to be the offense's strength. If MJD and Jennings are less than 100 percent at the beginning of the year, this team could be in for a world of hurt.
UPDATE:
After Jack Del Rio was mum on Jennings' status during a press conference last week, the Jaguars have officially placed Jennings on injured reserve with a knee injury. Although the team won't go into further detail.
Deji Kareem, who racked up eight rushes for 58 yards in Thursday's preseason finale, becomes MJD's must-have handcuff. While he doesn't have as much upside as Jennings, he could do in a pinch should MJD go down this season.
