JACKSONVILLE – Jalen Ramsey will miss another game Sunday.
The next step: get more information about why.
Ramsey, the Jaguars' two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, on Friday was ruled out of the team's game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday. It will be the second consecutive game he has missed with a back injury.
Ramsey is expected to see a specialist about the issue, Head Coach Doug Marrone said.
"It hasn't been getting any better," Marrone said Friday as the Jaguars (2-2) prepared to play the Panthers (2-2) at Bank of America Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. "We're going to make sure we do everything possible to get him to see a specialist this week."
Ramsey, who requested a trade following a Week 2 loss to the Houston Texans, started and played the following Thursday in a Week 3 victory over Tennessee. He then missed practice the following week for a variety of reasons – sickness, the back injury and the birth of his second daughter – before flying with the team to Denver last weekend. He missed that game because of the back injury.
Ramsey did not practice this week.
"Jalen's always been someone who's been extremely diligent in what he has to do to get back on the field," Marrone said. "He's one of the toughest guys I've coached when it comes down to injuries and fighting back from it. Obviously, we're just working day to day to get it better."
Ramsey, the No. 5 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, started all 51 regular-season games from his rookie season until last week. Second-year veteran Tre Herndon, who started for Ramsey in a 26-24 victory over Denver last week, is expected to again start opposite A.J. Bouye Sunday.
Rookie tight end Josh Oliver was ruled out Friday with a hamstring injury. A 2019 third-round selection, Oliver missed all four preseason games and the first four regular-season games with the injury. He returned to practice last Wednesday before missing practice the following day and he practiced all three days this week.
"I hope we can progress now," Marrone said. "The three days were good and obviously I think the next step will be some team reps. Once we get to that, we'll evaluate the team reps and from the team reps we'll see if he'll be able to help us play."
Defensive end Lerentee McCrary (oblique) was listed as questionable for Sunday after practicing limited Friday. All other players who had been on the injury report were removed after working full Friday, a list that included starting quarterback Gardner Minshew II.
Minshew worked limited Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury sustained against Denver last week. Backup quarterback Josh Dobbs took some first-team repetitions in Minshew's place this week.
"Obviously, it's a much better level than it was when he first gets here," Marrone said of Dobbs, acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers the day after starting quarterback Nick Foles sustained a broken clavicle in a Week 1 loss to Kansas City.
"When you first get the quarterback in, even though he's on the roster you don't feel comfortable with him being able to go in there and play. He's not really out there executing any part of that plan, so there's always that chance of if there's an injury you don't know what to expect. You expect him to know it, but you don't know the production of it.
"To be able to take some reps during the week and watch him perform, it gives you a better sense of, 'Hey, listen, if God forbid something does happen …' you feel a little more comfortable. It's a natural progression and he's done a good job."
