Trevor Lawrence ruled out vs. Panthers
For the first time in his professional football career, Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7) quarterback Trevor Lawrence will miss a game due to injury.
Jacksonville ruled out Lawrence, who has been diagnosed with a sprained right AC joint in his throwing shoulder, for this Sunday’s Week 17 home contest against the Carolina Panthers (2-13). Lawrence sustained the injury during this past Sunday’s 30-12 Week 16 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7). The 24-year-old practiced in limited fashion Thursday, with head coach Doug Pederson calling him “day to day.”
“If it were a defensive guy, you can harness [the shoulder] and kind of keep things nice and tight – and he can still practice as long as you don’t bang him around,” Pederson said, via the team’s website. “The quarterback, you’re handing the ball off with that right arm. You’re throwing with the right arm. You’re stressing the shoulder a little bit more.
“Those are all things you have to be careful of and it’s really a tolerance thing more than anything, but you still want to be careful every day you’re out there.”
Lawrence, the 2021 first overall pick out of Clemson, was already banged up headed into the game against Tampa Bay. He suffered a high ankle sprain earlier this month and then entered the NFL’s concussion protocol two weeks later. He made it out of the protocol in time to play versus the Buccaneers, before exiting with the shoulder injury.
C.J. Beathard next man up for injured Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence has thrown for 3,736 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 65.5% passing this season. He’s added 329 yards and four scores on the ground. With Lawrence sidelined, seven-year veteran C.J. Beathard will get the start under center. Beathard is 2-10 in 12-career starts — all coming with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-2020. He completed 11-of-15 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown in relief of Lawrence against Tampa Bay.
“I think you have to consider where we are in the season, what we have moving forward,” Pederson said. “The biggest thing – and we’ve talked about this, too – is you don’t want to risk further injury. That’s the big thing. If Trevor plays, we’re, we’re all in on that. If CJ plays, we’re all in on that. The one thing about CJ is in Trevor’s absence during the week, it’s valuable that CJ has taken all the reps, and he has prepared that way. He’s ready to go at a moment’s notice.
“He stepped in last week and did a nice job for us at the end of that game. It’s a tough decision, but sometimes I have to make those decisions based on Trevor’s health and where we are as a team.”