When the St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson didn't reappear after spiking a ball following a near-score, it looked like coach Jeff Fisher was disciplining his star running back. Fisher said that wasn't true, and according to the Associated Press, he was sitting Jackson against the Washington Redskins on Sunday because of a groin strain.

''It had nothing to do with the spike,'' Fisher told the AP. ''His groin was real tight and we just didn't want to subject him to it. I didn't think he'd be 100 percent.''

On 3rd-and-goal on the 1-yard line, Jackson spiked the football after the officials ruled him short of a touchdown, and that drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Before that, he'd been called for a fumble before the ruling was overturned after a review. He had already eaten up 58 yards on nine carries.

After the spike, Jackson didn't return. Helping to fuel the speculation that Fisher was disciplining Jackson was the fact that the injury was not announced in the press box, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Bernie Miklasz.

The injury does not appear serious and should heal quickly, according to the team's Twitter.

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