JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars news was good early Wednesday.
Head Coach Doug Marrone met the media Wednesday morning, saying that most of the Jaguars' players injured this past Sunday in Cincinnati have a chance to play against the Houston Texans Sunday.
Among the Jaguars players who left a 33-25 loss Cincinnati Sunday with injuries were linebacker Myles Jack (ankle), wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (hamstring), cornerback D.J. Hayden (hamstring), left tackle Cam Robinson (knee) and cornerback CJ Henderson (shoulder).
"The only one I don't feel good about is D.J. Hayden," Marrone said as the Jaguars (1-3) prepared to play the Texans (0-4) at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Sunday at 1 p.m.
"Everyone else has a chance. I don't want to say I feel great, but everyone else has a chance to play on Sunday. So, I'm excited about that."
Marrone also discussed the Jaguars' approach to COVID-19. The Tennessee Titans-Pittsburgh Steelers game last weekend was postponed after multiple Titans players tested positive, and the New England Patriots canceled practice Wednesday after cornerback Stephon Gilmore tested positive.
"We may not go more than a day or two without talking about COVID or the protocols and things of that nature," Marrone said. "If you haven't said a lot about it and you just had the protocols in place, then you can create a lot of anxiety or issues or problems, but when you're talking about it pretty much on a daily basis you're able to always remind the players and keep them going.
"Every time we've talked to the players about the protocols, I've always talked to the players about, 'Hey, it's a season of change. These things can change as they go.' The way we approached it from the beginning has helped us. We've spoken about yesterday and today quite a bit, what we have to do and how we have to stay on top of it….
"I don't see the anxiety or issues; we understand it, we accept it and we move on."
NOTABLE
Marrone on Wednesday discussed former Texans Head Coach Bill O'Brien, who was fired this week after an 0-4 start to the 2020 season. Marrone and O'Brien are longtime friends, with Marrone saying Wednesday: "Definitely in this league, I probably know him better than anyone. I know he's an outstanding football coach. He has proven that. I know he's very loyal to his coaches and players and organizations. He has won four of five titles in the AFC South and he's an outstanding family man. He cares. He's a great friend. It's always sad when you see things like this. I'm sure he'll have opportunities down the road because of all the things that he has done. I think we all understand that this is just the way the league is."
NOTABLE II
The Jaguars on Wednesday designated safety Jarrod Wilson for return from injured reserve. The team has 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster. Wilson started all 16 games last season and played all defensive snaps, sustaining a hamstring injury in the Jaguars' Week 1 victory over Indianapolis.
