The Jacksonville Jaguars had already ruled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue out for their Week 2 battle against the Houston Texans, and now two other starters will be joining him. Those two starters are cornerback A.J. Bouye and receiver Marqise Lee, both of whom didn’t travel with the team.
Bouye was expected to miss Week 2’s game against the Texans, as coach Doug Marrone told the media that the veteran’s status was in doubt when the final injury report came out. Bouye initially surfaced on the injury report Thursday, so it’s possible the hip injury he sustained may have occurred in practice but the Jags haven’t really offered much on the issue.
Lee’s status, on the other hand, is somewhat of a surprise. He also surfaced on the injury report Thursday for what reportedly was maintenance, as the veteran isn’t that far removed from being taken off the physically unable to perform list last month. As most are aware, Lee is coming off an ACL tear that happened over a year ago, which required major surgery.
Playing in Bouye’s place will likely be second-year corner Tre Herndon, who is coming off a strong preseason. With Jalen Ramsey starting at the other corner spot and D.J. Hayden playing nickel, the Jags also have Breon Borders on the roster if they want to enter the game with four corners.
As for the receivers corps, Lee’s absence may not be that big of a deal when considering Dede Westbrook, DJ Chark and Chris Conley all had solid showings Week1, while Lee didn’t register a catch. The group also has Keelan Cole and C.J. Board, who they’ll likely go to as the No. 4 and No. 5 with Lee out.
