Jaguars place Ryquell Armstead on Covid IR, opening door further for Devine Ozigbo

UPDATE Thursday 10:03 a.m.: The Jaguars have signed Dare Ogunbowale and placed Devine Ozigbo on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury.

UPDATE Tuesday 7:29 p.m.: James Robinson is listed as the #1 running back on the Jaguars depth chart, but he it sounds like he and Devine Ozigbo could be splitting carries in the early going.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have placed running back Ryquell Armstead on the Covid-19 injured reserve list, per multiple reports. This is the second time he’s been placed on the list, having been placed on the list on August 2nd and activated on August 20th.

Armstead’s placement on the list does not mean he has Covid-19. NFL teams cannot specify why a player has gone on the list, but it is usually either because the player tested positive or because the player was exposed to someone else who tested positive.

This roster move follows the team’s decision to release Leonard Fournette earlier this week. Armstead was going to compete with Chris Thompson and Devine Ozigbo for touches in the backfield. Thompson is going to get plenty of work in the passing game, but the big question was whether or not Ozigbo might claim a significant early down role. He was worth a look when Fournette was released, and that only grows with Armstead out for an indefinite period.