Jaguars vs. Jets: James Robinson Carted to Locker Room With Achilles Injury

The starting running back was injured on a non-contact play and was carted off the sidelines into the locke rroom before quickly being ruled out.

One of the NFL's best young running backs suffered a scary injury on Sunday, with Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson leaving Week 16 with an Achilles injury. 

Jaguars interim head coach Darrell Bevell confirmed after the game that Robinson tore his achilles. 

“It’s unfortunate for us that we lose a player of James’ caliber, he’s such a rock for us really on our team, as well as the offense. When one of your bell cows like that goes down like that it’s a tough blow," Bevell said.

Robinson went down in the Jaguars' backfield without being contacted on a designed run to Tavon Austin with 3:21 left in the first quarter. Robinson, who did not touch the ball, went down in pain shortly after the snap before being attended to by trainers and being helped off the field.

Shortly after Robinson came off the field, he was carted from the sidelines back to the locker room and was quickly ruled out with an achilles injury. Robinson, who has battled a heel and knee injury since Week 8 this season, looked dejected on the cart as it took the team's star running back into the locker room and away from the field and sideline. 

Losing Robinson to a major injury would be significant for the Jaguars after Robinson has established himself as one of the NFL's top running backs through two seasons.

"Yeah it’s sucks, it’s tough. I really love James, great guy, super hard worker. Just to kind of see him fight through these injuries this year and every week besides the Buffalo game been available even though you know he’s fight through some pain," Trevor Lawrence said after the contest. 

"To see him go down like that, it’s like, ‘Gosh, can’t catch a break.’ Hate it for him more so than for us. Obviously we need him, he’s a great player, but I just hate it for him, a guy that works that hard and to go down with an injury like that it’s very unfortunate. So, praying for him for sure and support him anyway we can.

Robinson, widely regarded as the Jaguars' top player overall and top offensive playmaker, signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State in 2020. Robinson went on to not only make the Jaguars' roster as a rookie, but he earned the Week 1 starting nod for the Jaguars and kept the job all season long.  

Robinson carried the ball 240 times for 1,070 yards (4.5 yards per carry) for seven touchdowns. He led rookie running backs in receptions (49) and touchdown receptions (three) while recording 344 yards. In 14 games, Robinson finished with 1,414 scrimmage yards (1,070 rushing, 344 receiving), the most scrimmage yards by an undrafted rookie in the common-draft era. He was also the only rookie in the NFL to average more than 100 scrimmage yards per game in 2020.

Entering Sunday, Robinson had rushed 164 times for 767 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. The second-year running back has been injured since the Jaguars' Week 8 bout against the Seahawks but missed only one game, playing the rest of the games this season and fighting through his injuries and even some questionable game-time designations.