Per coach Doug Marrone, the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially removed wide receiver Marqise Lee from their physically unable to perform list. As a result, Lee will be practicing with his teammates (almost certainly on a limited basis), which is great news as the Jags near Week 1 of the regular season.
This great news comes almost a year after Lee sustained a gruesome knee injury Week 3 (on August 25) of the 2018 preseason against the Atlanta Falcons. After bringing in a catch from former Jags quarterback Blake Bortles, Lee took a hard shot to the knee from defensive back Damontae Kazee, which resulted in Lee having to be carted off the field. Not too soon afterward, Lee had surgery which he later revealed to be a significant procedure.
Lee and offensive tackle Cam Robinson were the only two starters the Jags had on the PUP list to begin camp. However, Robinson came off the list Monday and resumed practicing on a limited basis.
It’s unclear as to how the Jags will look to work Lee into the lineup as the Jags have had Dede Westbrook, Chris Conley and DJ Chark step up in his absence. Additionally, the three have built a strong rapport with quarterback Nick Foles while Lee was in the process of rehabbing.
All that said, most tend to think the Jags won’t play Lee Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins being that he’s just been cleared to practice. Typically the starters don’t play on the fourth week of the preseason either, so that leaves his status to make the final 53-man roster up in the air. Of course, that’s not to say the Jags will release Lee, but placing him on temporary injured reserve might be the best move.
Regardless as to what the Jags decide, one thing fans can agree upon is that it’s great to see the veteran make a full recovery and his return is a good problem to have despite it making the wide receiver position crowded. As the team’s most experienced receiver, he’ll enter 2019 with 171 receptions, 2,166 receiving yards and eight career touchdowns to his name.
