Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone told reporters on Monday that Leonard Fournette said a racial slur directed at him led to the running back threatening a fan.
A video posted by TMZ shows Fournette engaged in a verbal spat with a fan during Thursday’s game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn.
Fournette was heard in the video telling the fan that he “will beat your (expletive).” He also told the person that he is “too old for that” before being led away by others on the Jacksonville sideline.
Jaguars director of public relations Tad Dickman showed the video to Marrone, leading to a conversation between the latter two.
“Tad showed it to me prior to our walkthrough today,” Marrone said, via USA Today. “And then when I was out on the field after our walkthrough, I met with Leonard. He said there was a racial slur, so that’s what was told to me.”
Fournette returned to Thursday’s contest — a 30-9 loss to the Titans — after serving a one-game suspension for fighting Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Lawson on Nov. 25. The league said that Fournette violated its unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rules during the Jaguars’ 24-21 setback to the Bills.
The 23-year-old Fournette said he got angry when he saw the 6-foot-3, 267-pound Lawson shove teammate Carlos Hyde, and that’s when he threw a punch. Lawson was fined $33,425 while Hyde was docked $13,369 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Fournette apologized for his actions and said it was “totally out of character” for him.
The fourth overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, Fournette has 104 carries for 350 yards and four touchdowns in six games this season to go along with 16 receptions for 139 yards and a score.
Fournette led the Jaguars in rushing with 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games as a rookie in 2017.
