The Sports Xchange

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas is likely to miss the rest of the preseason after suffering a fracture in his right hand during Friday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thomas left on the offense’s first series when he landed awkwardly after a catch in the Jaguars’ 23-21 preseason win.

Head coach Gus Bradley said Thomas has a “stable fracture” in the back of his hand. The Jaguars initially identified the injury as a broken left hand, but later amended that to a fracture in the right hand, according to ESPN.com.

“The good news is it’s quick healing,” Bradley said after the game. “The tough thing is he’s going to be out probably the rest of the preseason. Hopefully, if everything works out right, he’ll be back ready for the first game.”

Thomas was hit hard and flipped after catching a 2-yard pass from quarterback Blake Bortles on the Jaguars’ second offensive snap.

The Jaguars signed Thomas to a five-year, $46 million contract, including $24 million guaranteed, in March.

Thomas was the No. 1 tight end on the free-agent market largely because of his production in the red zone with Peyton Manning and the prolific Denver Broncos’ offense. Thomas caught 108 passes for 1,277 yards and 24 touchdowns in the last two seasons for the Broncos.