Liam Coen might have won his first game as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars but the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have started some unnecessary controversy after his second game (and first loss) with his new team in his new role.
Coen revealed during his press conference on Monday that Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. entered the game with a wrist injury and that this could have impacted his performance in the eventual loss.
Normally, this might not be eyebrow-raising but Thomas did not appear on the injury report ahead of the game. Thomas described the injury as an existing one leading into the game yet it was not reported and therefore, the Jags could end up getting fined by the league for leaving Thomas off of their injury report.
It would also explain just how poorly Thomas played in the Jags' narrow loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, as he had multiple drops and didn't look like his usual self. Perhaps we know why that is now.
Buccaneers fans will enjoy latest Liam Coen drama with Jaguars
Now, it's worth noting that Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has been pretty loose when it comes to the injury rules as well so maybe that's where Coen learned it from. Bowles got into some hot water a few years ago when he listed Devin White as inactive despite the linebacker dealing with a foot injury and not appearing on the injury report before the game.
Coen wasn't on staff for that, but it's not the first time the Bucs blurred the lines and it probably won't be the last. They're not the only team in the NFL that does it, but this could be an apple doesn't fall far from the tree situation.
Plus, leave it to a coach like Coen to try and be dishonest about something.
The point needing to be made here is that if a player is dealing with an injury, they need to be listed on the injury report. If it's severe enough to where the player in question is not playing to the level they're expected to, then this is straight-up harmful to the player because they shouldn't be out there in the first place. Thomas could have been further injured in the game and if so, that's on Coen and the Jaguars.
Bucs fans have definitely been paying attention to Coen early on in his Jaguars stint considering his ties to Tampa and how things ended between the two. If drama like this is already happening for him in Jacksonville, things might only get more interesting from here on out and that's entertainment gold for Buccaneers fans.