Jaguars rookie and former Australian rules footballer Patrick Murtagh breaks ankle in practice

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars rookie tight end Patrick Murtagh, a former Australian rules footballer, broke his right ankle in practice Friday and was carted off the field in an air cast.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Murtagh was hurt during a goal-line drill that included live tackling. Teammates turned away from the sight of his foot pointing in the wrong direction. Fans and other onlookers groaned as a team doctor twisted it back into place.

“Seeing a guy that’s newly introduced to the game and how fast he’s picked it up and how well he looks and his drive and his effort, his willingness to just get in and learn and do anything, it’s unfortunate,” tight end Evan Engram said. “Everything happens for a reason, but I think he’ll be somebody that’s going to recover real fast and get right back in the mix.

“We’re going to stand by him. We’re going to support him. We’re going to get him through it. And we’re going to be his family while he’s here and help him get back as fast as possible.”

Murtagh, 24, is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and had shown progress in his second year of American football. He spent time with the Detroit Lions during the 2023 offseason before leaving the team with a medical issue.

A national-level decathlete in Australia and a Queensland state champion in high school, Murtagh first caught the eye of NFL scouts during an international combine in London. He was then invited to participate in a 10-week training camp at IMG Academy in Florida.

Murtagh was expected to end up on Jacksonville's practice squad and would not have counted against the team's roster limits.

Left tackle Cam Robinson (shoulder) also was hurt in practice Friday, leaving the Jaguars without both starting tackles; Anton Harrison remains in the league's concussion protocol.

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