Jaguars Sign Former RB Ryquell Armstead, Place Travis Etienne on COVID-19 List
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a series of roster moves on Wednesday afternoon, with the running back position coming into prime focus for two of those moves.
Among the roster shuffling the Jaguars pushed through Wednesday included the Jaguars bringing back an old face in former running back Ryquell Armstead, who the Jaguars signed to the active roster off Green Bay's practice squad. The Jaguars needed to add running back depth to take the place of running back Carlos Hyde, who was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday after a Week 14 concussion.
Armstead's first stint with the Jaguars began when the team selected the former Temple running back in the fifth-round (No. 140 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft, with Armstead serving as Leonard Fournette's backup during his rookie season.
In his first season with the Jaguars, Armstead appeared in 16 games and rushed 35 times for 108 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and caught 14 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
Armstead missed his entire second season after he landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 twice before Week 1. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in October that Armstead would miss his entire sophomore season due to complications from COVID-19, keeping Armstead off the field for all of 2020.
Armstead was still with the Jaguars briefly this offseason before the team ultimately waived him in May. Since then, he has spent time with the Packers and the New York Giants but has yet to appear in a regular season game.
The Jaguars also placed rookie running back Travis Etienne on the team's reserve/COVID-19 list. While Etienne is already on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending foot injury during the preseason, the rookie running back and first-round pick is still around the team facility and thus must go on the COVID-19 list like any other player.
The Reserve/COVID-19 list is a reserve category created by the NFL for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons.
Jaguars interim head coach Darrell Bevell said that at this time, the Jaguars believe they do not have any close contacts.
