Four Jacksonville Jaguars players were detained early Saturday after an incident in London, where the team is to play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
In a statement, the Jaguars said the players were detained “over restitution of a bill.”
“The matter is being resolved and the players are with the team,” the Jaguars said. “Any discipline will be handled internally.”
The team did not say which players were detained.
According to The London-based Sun, the players were accused of trying to leave the London Reign Showclub, which features burlesque and circus performers, without paying their tab.
The news — the latest in a bad run for the Jaguars — was announced about 12 hours before their 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff against the Eagles at Wembley Stadium.
Coming off a season in which they reached the AFC Championship Game, the Jaguars (3-4) have instead gone in the opposite direction, and have lost three consecutive games entering Sunday’s clash against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
The offense has been bad during the streak, getting outscored 57-0 in the first half of those games and turning the ball over 10 times — including eight (five interceptions) by quarterback Blake Bortles. Three of his interceptions have come in the Jaguars’ own territory, another was returned for a touchdown, and two others occurred in the end zone.
Bortles got benched last weekend against the Houston Texans after losing two fumbles. Coach Doug Marrone reinstated him as the starter but warned that things could change if the turnovers continue.
Part of the reason for the offense’s struggles are injuries. The Jaguars are on their third-string left tackle, the other four offensive line starters are dealing with nagging injuries, and two tight ends have been lost. Star running back Leonard Fournette has played in just two games due to a hamstring injury.
The defense hasn’t played at its 2017 level, either.
The Jaguars are giving up 121.9 yards per game rushing (25th in the NFL), have forced only five turnovers (second-fewest in the league) and have only 15 sacks despite having the second-highest pressure rate, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The combination made for a headline-making week in Jacksonville, with Bortles defending his mistake-filled play and the defense bristling at criticism that it’s soft.
Information from ESPN’s Michael DiRocco was used in this report.
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