Trevor Lawrence‘s return to the lineup has come to an abrupt end. Jacksonville’s quarterback was carted off the field following a hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (video link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
Lawrence has since been ruled out of the game with a concussion. Al-Shaair was ejected from the contest, and the matter of whether or not he faces supplemental discipline will be worth watching closely over the coming days. In the meantime, the Jaguars will move forward without their starting quarterback once again.
By the start of the current campaign, Lawrence had only missed one game due to injury. The former No. 1 pick suffered an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder during Jacksonville’s Week 9 contest, though, and that left him sidelined through to Jacksonville’s bye week. As expected, Lawrence managed to return to action today, but a head injury suffered in the closing weeks of a 2-9 season may represent his last action in 2024.
Prior to suiting up for Sunday’s contest, Lawrence acknowledged that surgery on his shoulder was a possibility (albeit one he preferred to avoid given how it would shut him down for the remainder of the season). Jacksonville is not in playoff contention, so taking a cautious approach would not have come as a surprise with respect to his shoulder. Now, the team may opt to keep the Clemson product on the sidelines for the rest of the year. At a minimum, more missed time should be expected.
Lawrence joined the growing list of quarterbacks attached to monster extensions this offseason, signing a five-year, $275MM deal. Given the nature of Jacksonville’s commitment to him, it would come as no surprise if a stint on injured reserve were to be explored. That would entail at least a four-game absence, something which could in turn lend itself to Lawrence remaining unavailable until 2025.
Jacksonville will once again turn to backup Mac Jones at quarterback. The former Patriots first-rounder did not impress during his two starts when Lawrence was previously sidelined, but this latest injury will give him another opportunity to deliver a strong showing. Doing so would help Jones’ value as a pending free agent.
I guess Pederson was trying to prove he could be as stupid as Matt Eberflus by having Trevor start in a meaningless game.
Per a previous posting of mine – I agree!
We’ve got ourselves another mouth-breathing a$$hole who supports headhunting in the NFL.
CBS showed the play at halftime of the Steeler game — Al-Shaair was deservedly disqualified (NOT “ejected”) for a late hit on a sliding Lawrence. Jaguars DB Jarrian Jones also got DQ’d for retaliating against Al-Shaair.
This injury had nothing to do with the A/C Joint Sprain in his non throwing shoulder. An AC Joint Sprain is very common in football and hockey. Sam Bradford and Eli Manning both played with a grade 3 in the non throwing shoulder. Believe it or not, Derek Carr has played with an A/C joint sprain in his throwing shoulder in 2023 and 2024. Please explain how an A/C Joint Sprain in the non throwing shoulder should keep a professional QB from playing on game day.
No game reps are meaningless with a developing QB, even one that you paid top dollar. Plus, a non-throwing shoulder injury isn’t a long-term concern.
There’s hard hits, which is fine. It’s football, a contact sport. Then there’s cheap shots, which this clearly was.
Not surprising, considering it came from a guy wearing free Palestine cleats. Not saying… just saying
That seems hardly related to me. Al-Shaair personally has had two questionable hits in the last two Texans games that I saw. I never had him as a dirty or borderline player, but he’s definitely moving up peoples’ radars, I think. Don’t know what’s gotten into him this year, but he’s been a menace (and not in a good way).
Some guys, like Garrett or Donald, are good enough to get away with obvious fouls that people “forget” about pretty quickly, or chalk up to “competitiveness”. Al-Shaair is good, but not a star. He won’t get that treatment.
What I meant with my comment is, that someone who is actively supporting hammas, a terrorist organization, that such a person would not have any second thoughts about laying a dirty hit on a sliding qb is not surprising.
Free Palestine is not equivalent to supporting Hamas on its own. If that is his position (that is, supportive of Hamas itself), then sure, it would make sense. But as much overlap as exists there, I definitely wouldn’t say it’s one for one as a sentiment across the board. After all, Hamas oppresses Palestinians as well. But that’s a separate topic. I don’t want to derail too much, here.
Are we not counting when he just punched Roschon Johnson on the sideline?
That was suspension worthy; Commish List even
Dude shouldn’t get to play another down in pro football.
I’m of the opinion, with a hit like that, he shouldn’t be allowed to play football again until Lawrence is able to take the field again. That hit was clearly dirty and done with the intent of hurting Lawrence.
Agreed, App. There’s a decent chance Lawrence doesn’t play again this season so neither should this guy.
Problem is he’s done this dirty move twice this season. This one was just worse.
Appalachian_Outlaw — That is an outstanding idea for a penalty.
Looking forward the Texans are on a bye then the Azeez Al-Shaair hit list is:
Tua Tagovailoa (that hit could be career ending for him)
Patty Mahomes (NFL does not want Patty touched in a harmful way)
Lamar Jackson (2X MVP in the hunt for a 3rd)
Will Levis …..
The NFL will suspend him for the rest of the season, and Houston will release/cut him. This will not be popular, but Al-Shaair has not had an issue the last five years playing for San Fran and Tenn. All three of his questionable hits are this year with Houston. Maybe the message being delivered to the players needs to be looked at as well.
@ Appalachian Outlaw…I have never thought of it like that, but that is a very good solution. He gets to sit at home, unpaid, also fined a hefty amount, until Lawrence is under center again. I like it.
My bet is the punishment is minimal. Goodell and his minions are wusses.
If this had happened to a 2nd or 3rd string QB then yeah, Goodell would probably make the punishment minimal but a player who cheap shots a QB worth $55MM is going to dealt with severely to appease the owners.
@cross: I’m not so sure. Kiko Alonso had a similar dirty hit on Joe Flacco in 2017 and did not get suspended. Flacco was an expensive franchise QB at the time, too. That said, it was 7 years ago and “player safety” is more of an issue now.
Correction….he makes 55 million. I doubt he’s worth that,
I think it will boil down to this: does the league view this hit as blatant and dangerous as what Myles Garrett did to Mason Rudolph? If they do -and they should- the league has precedent to hand down an indefinite suspension.
Dirty cheap hit.
This is a rivalry divisional game but still no place for those hits.
Hate to see it
At best Al Shamir gets somewhere in the 35k fine and possible game suspension.
NFL will send the message in fine amount idk if he gets suspended. If he it’s for a game.
Unless he’s racked up a decent amount of personal fouls in his career that could change things
What’s the significance of the ref tossing his hat? Did he just run out of flags, or is the hat some sort of super secret, double penalty flag only used in extreme circumstances? I don’t watch enough football to know?
Usually it means one of these things:
1. Out of bounds
2. Marking a spot
3. The ref’s out of flags
4. Mom bought it a size too small
There were 3 penalties on that play: disqualification for Al-Shaair of Houston, disqualification for Jarrian James of Jacksonville, personal foul for Travis Etienne of Jacksonville. All offsetting.
Because Al-Shaair gave a concussion to a defenseless player, there will be a suspension, potentially the remainder of Houston’s season.
Its funny listening to all this outrage. Before most of you guys turned 10 years old, this was routine NFL football. Yes, borderline but Lawrence is so tall, the linebacker would have had to stop in mid-air, and landed on his feet like a cat, to avoid hitting him. Lawrence knew damn well he might take a shot and slid too late from my perspective. Lets hope Al-Shaair isnt arrested and thrown in jail.