Leonard Fournette Won't Play vs. Buccaneers Due to Foot Injury

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone announced Monday that rookie running back Leonard Fournette won't play in their preseason game Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a foot injury.

Marrone told reporters Sunday the team was "being careful with him" after the running back's foot injury was confirmed.

Fournette made his NFL debut against the New England Patriots on Thursday, rushing nine times for 31 yards and a score, and he wasn't intimidated by the NFL level of play.

"It's a lot slower than I really thought," Fournette told James Palmer of NFL.com. "That's how I've been since I first got into the NFL. A lot of people were like, 'It's going to be fast.' But by me playing in the SEC, that kind of helped me a lot. I think, to me, it was really easy."

That confidence will be important for the rookie running back, who is expected to shoulder a major load for the Jaguars this season after the team used the No. 4 overall pick to select him in this year's NFL draft. Once healthy, he should be one of the main focuses of the offense this season.

The pressure to perform under those circumstances doesn't seem to bother Fournette.

"I've had pressure my whole life," he told Palmer. "I'm built for it. No matter what the circumstances, I've never let the game get bigger than me and I've always stayed humble. That's No. 1."

Nonetheless, this latest injury will be a concern, especially after he missed five games last year for LSU. If Fournette struggles to stay healthy in his rookie year, the Jags will have to turn once again to Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon, a duo that combined for just 904 rushing yards and five total touchdowns last season.