The Jaguars’ miserable and noxious season came to an end today, but not without one final reminder of how dysfunctional the team is from top to bottom.
Running backs Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon appear to have spent the entirety of today’s loss against the Texans sitting next to each other on the bench, away from their teammates. Fournette was inactive due to injury, but Yeldon was on the active roster. He never once touched the field, though, and didn’t look too interested in doing so. This didn’t sit well with Jaguars executive vice president Tom Coughlin, who lit into both Fournette and Yeldon in a statement released after the game:
This means nothing for Yeldon, who will be a free agent in the offseason and is unlikely to re-sign with the Jags. Fournette, however, is supposed to be a franchise player going forward, and this is now the second time this season he’s been at odds with the front office. Back in October, the team made a hasty trade for running back Carlos Hyde because they were apparently unhappy with how long it was taking Fournette to rehab his hamstring injury.
That trade didn’t do anything to improve Jacksonville’s season, but Coughlin getting upset at Fournette and airing him out in public on the last day of the season is sure to get things back on track for 2019.