Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey wants to be traded, but so far the team refuses to deal him. Perhaps that could be part of the reason he’s become very sickly this week.
On Monday, Ramsey called in sick with the flu. On Tuesday, the team was off.
On Wednesday, Ramsey said he couldn’t practice due to lower back and hamstring issues. Also on Wednesday, he flew to Nashville to be with his girlfriend who’s about to give birth to their second child.
Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone said that Ramsey didn’t tell team officials anything about a back injury after the Jaguars’ last game, a September 19th win over the Tennessee Titans. A few hours after Marrone said this, the Jaguars, perhaps trying to cover themselves legally, announced Ramsey did report some back soreness late in the Jaguars-Titans game.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that it’s “far-fetched” Ramsey will play in Jacksonville’s game at Denver on Sunday.
“With Jaguars’ CB Jalen Ramsey not practicing today due to what the team is reporting as a back injury, it is far-fetched to think he will play Sunday’s game at Denver, per sources,” Schefter tweeted Wednesday. “Ramsey and the Jaguars are engaged in a stare-down about a potential trade.”
Ramsey requested a trade following the Jaguars’ opening day loss to the Houston Texans after the player felt disrespected by team VP Tom Coughlin during a conversation.
“Some disrespectful things were said on their end that made me definitely walk out and call my agent as soon as I walked out,” Ramsey told NFL Network’s Nate Burleson on a podcast. “I said, ‘It’s time. My time is up here in Jacksonville.’ I said, ‘I want to ask for a trade.’ I was truly at peace, like I wasn’t in a mindset of making a decision while I was angry. I was completely calm. I still stand by that decision to ask for a trade.”
It’s unclear what Coughlin said to Ramsey, but it might surprise some that somebody who has disrespected so many other NFL players, would be thin-skinned about a critique from one of his bosses.
In August of 2018, Ramsey said of Buffalo’s quarterback: “Josh Allen is trash.” About the former Baltimore and now Denver QB, Ramsey said: “Joe Flacco sucks.” When it came to Atlanta’s QB: “Matt Ryan is overrated.” Also in August of 2018, he was less than flattering when talking about former New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, during an ESPN interview.
“I don’t think Gronk’s good,” Ramsey said. “Let me say — I don’t think Gronk is as great as people think he is.”
But the Jaguars think Ramsey is a great player and according to published reports, team Owner Shad Khan doesn’t want to trade him. The Jaguars’ brass feel they’re contenders for the AFC South title, and not having Ramsey will hurt their chances of achieving this goal.
“Elite cornerbacks are hard to find,” long-time NFL executive Gil Brandt recently noted on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “There is a cornerback shortage.”
And Ramsey is one of the game’s top cornerbacks, making the Pro Bowl the last two seasons.
But now he’s under the weather.
However, it’s possible his flu, hamstring and back problems could go away if he’s traded to another team.
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