Leonard Fournette's Suspension Appeal Upheld, out vs. Colts for Role in Fight

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette's one-game suspension was upheld upon appeal Wednesday.

According to NFL Vice President of Football Communications Michael Signora, appeals officers James Thrash affirmed the suspension, meaning Fournette will miss Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Fournette was suspended after getting ejected for fighting with defensive end Shaq Lawson during the Jags' 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Prior to his ejection late in the third quarter, Fournette was enjoying his best game of the season with 95 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go with three receptions for 13 yards.

The second-year man has been limited to just five games this year because of a hamstring injury, and he's rushed for 314 yards and four touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 134 yards and another score.

Jacksonville selected Fournette with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 draft out of LSU, and he was one of the NFL's best rookies last season with 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in just 13 games.

With Fournette out against the Colts, Jacksonville will rely on a combination of T.J. Yeldon and Carlos Hyde in the backfield.

Yeldon has been one of the Jaguars' best pass-catchers this season with 46 receptions for 423 yards and four touchdowns. Hyde, meanwhile, has just 93 rushing yards in the four games since the Jags acquired him from the Cleveland Browns.

The Jacksonville offense will operate under a different play-caller against Indianapolis as well after head coach Doug Marrone fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett in the wake of the loss to Buffalo. The team also benched struggling quarterback Blake Bortles in favor of Cody Kessler for the Colts game.

The Fournette-less Jaguars are 3-8, and they will face a 6-5 Colts squad that is in the thick of the playoff race and has won five straight.