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Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Last week, Jalen Ramsey requested a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The star cornerback missed practice Monday because of an illness and is now out indefinitely with his family for the birth of his daughter. Jaguars coach Doug Marrone announced Ramsey's status Wednesday. The two-time Pro Bowl selection was listed with a back injury on the injury report, but Marrone said Ramsey flew to Nashville after Wednesday's practice session.
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"Months ago in the offseason, Jalen notified me that he was expecting the birth of his second child in late September," Marrone said in a statement. "We spoke about this recently and again today after practice and decided that it was best for Jalen to fly to Nashville tonight after meetings to be with his family during the birth of their daughter.
"He will return to the team when he's ready, and we will provide an update at that time."
Ramsey's agent David Mulugheta thanked Marrone for the statement and said his client wouldn't miss the "moment for anything."
Ramsey has 18 tackles, a pass defensed and a forced fumble in three starts this season. The 2017 All-Pro has one year remaining on his rookie contract. Marrone told reporters Wednesday the star cornerback will play if he can when the Jaguars take on the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
"I don't like to talk for players, but one thing I don't have a problem saying about Jalen is that he loves football, loves football," Marrone said. "If he has the ability to play, I'd be of the understanding that he will play. The guy loves football and he loves his teammates."
Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said he wants to face Ramsey.
"I don't really know him and I haven't really watched that much film on him, but at the end of the day I'm a competitor," Sanders told reporters. "I want to go out and I want to face the best, so I'm actually looking forward to going and facing him and see what kind of outcome I can have versus a guy like that.
"You want to play against the best, you want to say when I'm in front of kids and they asked me, 'Who's the best corner you ever faced?' Right now they say Ramsey is one of the best, so I want to go against him and see what type of opinion I have after that game."
Marrone said Ramsey is feeling better from his previous illness and the cornerback reported his back injury sometime after Thursday's game and before Wednesday's practice.
Ramsey was somewhat mum when pressed about his trade request before the Jaguars' Week 3 win against the Tennessee Titans. Jaguars owner Shad Khan contends he will "do the right thing for the team" when it comes to possibly trading Ramsey.
"Do I expect them [to trade me]? They may, they may not," Ramsey said. "I'm going to let God figure everything out. God, my agent. When I have conversations with him, we'll figure some things out and we'll go like that. But like I said, as long as I'm here you're going to get everything out of me. I think you all know that, though."
The Jaguars face the Broncos at 4:25 p.m. EDT Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
