There’s a new pass rusher en route to the New York Jets for 2021, after the team lost Carl Lawson for the year after rupturing his Achilles in August, the team was in desperate need of trying to figure out who could potentially replace the production they were hoping to get when they signed Lawson in free agency this offseason. They’re now placing that bet on Shaq Lawson, whom they reportedly traded with the Houston Texans to acquire.

In exchange for Lawson, the Texans will receive a sixth-round pick, and the former 19th-overall pick returns to the AFC East ready to face his former team at least twice in 2021: the Buffalo Bills. Lawson joined the Bills in 2016 and played through his rookie deal with the club before leaving in free agency to the Miami Dolphins in 2020, after the Bills declined to exercise his fifth-year option. It was a three-year deal signed in Miami, but Lawson wouldn’t see the back end of it – he was traded to the Houston Texans this past spring. He hasn’t taken a single regular-season snap for the Texans, because for the second time in only five months, he’ll have to pack his bags and head to a new NFL home. Lawson delivered four sacks for the Dolphins in 2020 and is only one year removed from a career-high season wherein he posted 6.5 sacks for the Bills. The Jets and newly installed head coach Robert Saleh – a former defensive coordinator – is hoping gaining this Lawson will help take some of the sting out of losing the other one. The Jets come into this season with high expectations after a bad year last year. The addition of rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, as well as rookie running back Michael Carter and receiver Elijah Moore should help majorly boost the offense.

Appeals officer James Thrash denied Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8) running back Leonard Fournette‘s appeal of a one-game suspension this week, thus he will miss Sunday’s game against the division rival Indianapolis Colts (6-5).

Jags RB Fournette loses suspension appeal

Fournette was suspended following his ejection for fighting with Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson on Sunday in the third quarter.

The NFL said Fournette violated its unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rules and will miss one game without pay.

“Sportsmanship is the cornerstone of the game and the league will not tolerate game-related misconduct that conveys a lack of respect for the game itself and those involved in it,” NFL Vice President Jon Runyan wrote in a letter to Fournette.

“Video of the incident shows that you were not a participant in the play and that you ran from your sideline to the opposite side of the field to insert yourself as an active participant in a fight. Once you entered the fight area, you struck a member of the opposing team. Your actions adversely reflected on the NFL and have no place in the game.”

Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said Monday that he spoke with Fournette and the rest of the team about the fight.

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“Those discussions are private, and we discussed all the personal fouls with the team,” Marrone said. “We have 22 personal fouls, which leads the league. It is something that stops us from having the opportunity to win football games. I addressed it with the team and addressed it with some players individually.”

On the play before the fight, Fournette wasn’t even on the field, which means he threw on his helmet and ran sixty yards to jump in the skirmish near the goal line.

Lawson was also ejected after the incident in Buffalo’s 24-21 win, but no discipline was announced. Lawson told reporters on Tuesday that he expects to receive a fine, which he will appeal.

Lawson told reporters Tuesday he was simply defending himself.

“At the time, how the whole situation happened, I was defending myself because he came from the sideline. So at that time, I was basically defending myself and my team, fighting for my brothers. Ain’t nobody going to let anybody in this world let a man throw a punch at you and you won’t react to it,” Lawson said, according to the Buffalo News.