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The Jacksonville Jaguars are reeling, that might be putting it mildly. After their Week 10 loss to division rival Colts, plummeting their record to 3-6 on the season, the Jaguars lost more than just the game.
As reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Jaguars will be without center Brandon Linder for at least the Week 11 game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers after suffering a knee injury.
Just as RB Leonard Fournette returned, the #Jaguars are losing a big part of their run game: C Brandon Linder suffered a knee injury that will knock him out this week and possibly beyond, sources say. He’s still undergoing testing and time table is TBD.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 12, 2018
The loss of Linder couldn’t come at a worse time for Jacksonville, especially as the team finally got their prized running back Leonard Fournette back in the lineup after missing the first half of the season with a hamstring injury.
Linder, who was given a monster five-year, $51.7 million extension in 2017, is considered one of the game’s premiere centers, and the likes of Stephon Tuitt, Cameron Heyward and Javon Hargrave will now have to deal with a backup rather than Linder.
The Steelers won’t be looking for any favors, nor will they need any extra motivation when facing the Jaguars this Sunday. The film from 2017 as the Jaguars went into Heinz Field and didn’t just beat the Steelers twice, but embarrassed them in the process, won’t be quickly forgotten for the boys in black-and-gold.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the injuries, and more, leading up to the big Week 11 showdown between these two AFC foes.