Fournette back after suspension

JACKSONVILLE — Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette rejoined the team on Monday after serving his one-game suspension without pay for leaving the sideline and running across the field to exchange punches with Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson a week ago.

But he declined to speak to reporters about his return.

Coach Doug Marrone said he checked to make sure Fournette was back Monday but said he did not get around to speaking with him because of his hectic early-afternoon schedule due to the team’s shortened week of preparations for Thursday night’s game at Tennessee.

“I haven’t had a chance; I apologize for that,” Marrone said.

Marrone didn’t say specifically if the franchise issued additional punishment to Fournette beyond the league’s suspension.

But what’s for certain is that Fournette will remain a team captain for the remaining four games of the season.

Marrone reiterated what he said last week in that no players have expressed a desire to strip Fournette of his captain’s role.

“It’s not something I can take away because it was voted by the team,” Marrone said.

Without Fournette, the Jaguars (4-8) beat the Indianapolis Colts 6-0 on Sunday to snap a seven-game losing streak behind a superb defensive effort and quarterback Cody Kessler not committing a turnover in his first start in place of benched Blake Bortles.

It was the Jaguars’ first win since Sept. 30 (31-12 over the New York Jets).

T.J. Yeldon started in place of Fournette, but backup Carlos Hyde came off the bench and rushed for a team-high 36 yards on 13 carries.

Fournette has missed seven games this season, which includes six games because of a hamstring injury.

He has rushed for 314 yards on 90 carries and four touchdowns after gaining 1,040 yards and scoring nine touchdowns last season as a rookie.

Despite beating the Colts (6-6) without him, free safety Tashaun Gipson said having Fournette back provides a huge boost.

“You can’t replace a guy like that, that type of production, and the respect that he demands himself as a football player definitely goes unnoticed, and I think that you see it with and without him in the lineup,” Gipson said. “We’re a physical team and we want to run the ball, get your playmakers the ball and obviously he’s the best player we have on the off side of the ball. He’s definitely had himself a nice, long break throughout the season, so I don’t mind if they give him 45 carries. He needs them.”

Fournette lost the appeal of his one-game suspension last week by the NFL.

NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan, who issued Fournette’s suspension, said, “Sportsmanship is the cornerstone of the game and the league will not tolerate game-related misconduct that conveys a lack of respect for the game itself and those involved in it.”

Though Lawson did not get suspended like Fournette, he was fined $33,425 by the NFL on Saturday.

Fournette and Lawson both were ejected in the third quarter during the Jaguars’ 24-21 loss at Buffalo on Nov. 25.

After the game, Fournette apologized and said he was responsible for the team’s seventh consecutive loss.

On Saturday after Lawson’s fine was issued, Fournette took to Twitter and posted: “We apologize I need my 99k back lord.”