Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette missed his first practice all season on Thursday, sitting out with a neck injury.
Fournette had been limited on Wednesday — his first time on the injury report all season — before being absent Thursday.
However, he sounded optimistic about playing Sunday in the regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts, explaining to reporters that playing in all 16 games was one of his goals for the year.
“That’s something I put on my list,” Fournette said. “No. 1 to stay healthy the whole season, how to manage my body and just be better than the last two seasons. It wasn’t just me, but the guys I worked out with in the offseason.”
Fournette has 265 carries for 1,152 yards (a career-best 4.3 average) and three touchdowns in 15 games, a season after playing in just eight games due to injury and suspension, totaling just 439 yards on 133 carries (3.3-yard average). He also missed three games as a rookie in 2017.
The 24-year-old also has 76 catches for 522 yards this season.
The Jaguars (5-10) have lost six of their past seven games entering Sunday’s finale.