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Luke Joeckel will miss the remainder of the 2013 season with what the team is calling a "high ankle fracture," but the Jaguars rookie offensive tackle isn't at all concerned that he'll be less than fully ready for the 2014 regular season.
"It won't affect the 2014 season at all," Joeckel told the media on Monday. "I'll be working hard to get back in there as soon as possible and it won't affect [2014] at all."
Joeckel, 21, was selected with the second-overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft and started the first four games of the season at right tackle for the Jaguars. After Eugene Monroe was traded to the Baltimore Ravens last week, Joeckel made his first career start at left tackle where he was the Outland Trophy winner with the Texas A&M Aggies.
That was short-lived though, as he was carted off in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams after he was rolled up on at an awkward angle. Gus Bradley told the media shortly after the game that Joeckel would miss the remainder of the season.
"The ankle will come back stronger than before it happened," Joeckel said on Monday. "Hopefully this is just a bump in the road of a successful career."
With Joeckel out, the Jaguars will likely have to rely on Cameron Bradfield at left tackle and Austin Pasztor at right tackle for the foreseeable future. With no other offensive tackles on roster, the Jaguars will likely have to sign a player for depth, or promote DeMarcus Love from the practice squad.