Backup Redskins rookie running back Matt Jones did not practice on Tuesday for a second straight day, but not because of any injury concerns, according to his head coach."Matt just had some rest [and was] going through some treatment," Jay Gruden said. "Obviously, when he gets the ball, he runs very, very hard. He just needed a little bit of extra time, a little extra treatment. But there's no injury there."
Jones missed time in this summer's training camp with a right knee injury, but tallied a touchdown and 139 yards on 20 rushes in three preseason appearances for Washington.
He earned every yard of it, the hard way.
"At the running back position, you do take kind of a beating," the physical rusher said.
Jay Gruden said his plan is to have Jones take a few days off during the season to recover from that beating. Jones is known as a powerful runner and will be inserted as a 3rd-down and late-game back to take some pressure of starter Alfred Morris.
"He had some issues in college," Gruden said in reference to Jones' knee injury concerns at Florida. "We're going to take care of him. He's a very integral part of [our] running game and our success. We want to make sure we have him for 16 weeks and don't burn him out."
But they also don't want to burn him out by using him too little.
"He also needs to get his reps because he's a rookie," Gruden said. "We have to find that happy medium there, get him ready physically, mentally ready to play, but also take care of him."
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