Almost a month after selecting Jalen Ramsey as the fifth overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the athlete signed a rookie contract with the team. This is despite the injury he suffered this month.
According to NFL.com, the Jaguars confirmed on Sunday that it has offered Ramsey a rookie contract that's good for four years. The deal comes with a guaranteed $23.3 million as well as a $ 15.1 million signing bonus.
The contract-signing between the athlete and the team almost didn't happen due to the events of last week. During an on-field workout on May 19, Ramsey suffered a small meniscus tear in his right knee. The incident gave the Jaguars quite a scare especially since Ramsey had the same injury during his sophomore year in high school. Back then, he underwent surgery.
This weekend, sources said that the team was still determining if Ramsey will need surgery. According to reporter Adam Schefter, Ramsey is scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andres this later this week regarding his status.
"Jalen Ramsey scheduled to meet Dr. Andrews this week," Schefter tweeted. "Surgery likely, but the team believes, as of now, he'll be back before opener vs. [Green Bay] Packers."
Thankfully though, the injury did not deter the Jaguars from offering a contract to Ramsey. However, it still shows that the team has not yet been able to shake off its bad luck when it comes to drafting new players.
Last year, the Jaguars drafted Dante Fowler Jr. during the first round. However, during a practice session in May last year, Fowler tore an ACL, which forced him to miss his entire first season with the team. Because of this unfortunate incident, the Jaguars decided to tone down its rookie workouts. However, like in any physical sport, accidents and injuries cannot be completely avoided.
Hopefully, Ramsey will not require surgery for his injury so he could continue practicing with the team during the offseason. If, however, things don't turn out well for the Jaguars and Ramsey, then the time might once again go through the season without its newly drafted rookie player.
