JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Trevor Lawrence isn’t planning to miss a primetime Thursday night football game for the suddenly red-hot Jaguars. Not if he can help it.
The third-year quarterback was limited in practice on Tuesday with a knee sprain, but said that he’s doing everything possible to get back to full strength for the Jaguars (4-2) as they prepare for a trip to New Orleans (3-3) on Thursday night.
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“I’m going to do everything I can to be out there,” Lawrence said. “I feel a lot better today than I would’ve thought, I like how I’m progressing and I’m going to do everything I can to be out there on Thursday.”
Lawrence has been on the field virtually every meaningful snap during his NFL career. He’s gone out on occasion during blowouts or garbage time in favor of backup C.J. Beathard, who is positioned to get the start ahead of Lawrence if he can’t go.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Lawrence was “day to day” and his decision on who would start would come at “7:20″ on Thursday night. That’s the kickoff time in the Central time zone in New Orleans.
Beathard has had 15 pass attempts in his time with the Jaguars, all of those in mop-up duty or spelling Lawrence.
“As long as Trevor is in a position where he can’t injure himself or as long as he gives us the best chance to win the game, without risking himself or whatever that may be, then that’s what we’ll continue to do,” said offensive coordinator Press Taylor. “That’s just a conversation with everybody involved in the process.”
Lawrence missed two games at Clemson due to COVID-19 protocol in 2020. During his freshman season in 2018, Lawrence sustained a neck injury before halftime against Syracuse and didn’t return. He was back the following game against Wake Forest.
Playing through injuries is commonplace and the expectation in both college and pro sports, something Lawrence said he wears as a badge of honor. But there’s also the weight of knowing when that injury is too much to play through and it can affect the team in a negative way.
“Of course. This game is about toughness and it’s about at times playing through injuries. I think it’s also about being smart and you know the position we’re in. There are guys every week that have injuries and might sit or might not play,” Lawrence said. “They’re looking for the long haul, not just for themselves but also for the team because you want your guys to be healthy in crunch time of the season down the stretch.”
If there’s apprehension about playing Lawrence before he’s healed up, it’s certainly warranted. New Orleans plays on a turf field and there is plenty of data available that suggest synthetic surfaces are more unforgiving and potentially less safe than natural surfaces like grass. According to the NFLPA, injury rates on synthetic surfaces were higher last year (.048 per 100 plays on turf in 2022, .035 on grass) than on natural grass.
The Jets lost Aaron Rodgers to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 1 on turf. Rodgers had dealt with a calf strain during training camp. Lawrence said he hated the thought of missing a game but that he wouldn’t put that thought in the way if he wasn’t healthy enough to play.
“Yeah, it’s definitely a position I don’t want to be in. I haven’t missed a game in my career. I’m only in my third year, but I take a lot of pride in that and being available, being there and being able to play and compete every week,” Lawrence said.
“I think that’s something I take a lot of pride in. We’re not at that point yet, we’ve got a couple more days and we’re going to see how the rest of the week plays out. It’s definitely something that means a lot to me, is just being out there, one, but also knowing I can put a good performance out there for my team because that doesn’t help anyone if I can’t. You got to ask that question as well.”