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.

DECEMBER 1: Lawrence is indeed active for today’s matchup against the Texans.

NOVEMBER 29: The first game after Jacksonville’s bye week was floated as a possible return date for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. As things stand, it appears that will indeed be the point at which he next takes the field.

Lawrence resumed practicing this week while continuing to deal with an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. Surgery is under consideration, but the former No. 1 pick’s preference is to return to action over the closing weeks of the season. The 2-9 Jaguars are set to face the Texans on Sunday, and Lawrence is on track to be in the lineup for that contest.

“He’s had a good week,” head coach Doug Pederson said (via Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union). “Done some really good things this week. I would say as of right now, yes, he will play.”

A postseason berth is not in the cards for Jacksonville, but having Lawrence back in the picture could offer a needed boost on offense. In two games with Mac Jones at the helm, the team has amassed only 313 yards and 13 points. Lawrence has not enjoyed a stellar campaign in his own regard, with his passer rating (87.9) being the worst mark since his rookie season. Still, he could give the Jags a higher floor in the passing game he if manages to avoid aggravating his shoulder injury.

Lawrence is attached to the $275MM extension he signed this offseason, so his long-term health is an obvious priority for the franchise. Pederson noted there will be no restrictions for the Clemson product provided he is on the field Sunday, though, so the team’s offense will look to operate as usual with its top signal-caller back in the fold. Should Lawrence encounter a setback in the immediate future, Jones would be in position to see playing time once again; it would currently come as a surprise if that were to become necessary, however.

Trevor Lawrence has missed the Jaguars’ last two games while dealing with an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. The door is open to a return in Week 13, but surgery aimed at correcting the issue is also receiving consideration.

Such a procedure would shut Lawrence down for the remainder of the campaign, and with Jacksonville not in touching distance of a postseason berth it would make sense to play it safe on the injury front. The former No. 1 pick returned to practice this week, however, giving him the chance to suit up for the first game after the Jags’ bye. How he manages this issue over the near future will determine if the surgical route is to be taken.

“[Surgery is] definitely something that I’m considering and not off the table at all,” Lawrence said when addressing the matter (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco). “It’s something that we’re going to have to just [approach] truly day-by-day, week-by-week.

“Hopefully I’m able to get back out there this week or as soon as possible and then it’s going to be just every week kind of evaluating it, seeing where it’s at. Obviously up until this point I’ve been doing everything I can to avoid that and want to be back out there with my guys and finish the season. So that’s my goal.”

Lawrence was available for every game during each of his first two seasons, and he missed only one contest in 2023 despite playing through a number of lingering ailments. The 25-year-old’s QBR for this season (61.8) is the highest of his career, but he in particular and Jacksonville’s offense as a whole has not lived up to expectations. A rebound over the coming weeks could boost head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke‘s job security, but notable changes in the offseason should still be expected given the 2-9 team’s struggles.

If Lawrence manages to suit up on Sunday against the Texans, he and the team will get a better sense of the feasibility of remaining on the field for the rest of the year. If not, it will be Mac Jones getting the nod once again; the offseason trade acquisition has thrown three interceptions (with no touchdowns) and taken four sacks during his two starts so far, so expectations would be limited if he were to remain in place under center.

Trevor Lawrence missed only the second game of his career last week as he continues to deal with an AC joint sprain. Jacksonville’s starting quarterback will be sidelined again in Week 11, but his status beyond that point is uncertain.

Lawrence’s sprain is in his non-throwing shoulder, and for the time being he is attempting to address the matter through rest and rehab. Surgery could be an option at some point, however, and that would shut him down for the remainder of the campaign. For the time being, team and player are taking a week-to-week approach.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson confirmed Lawrence will be out for the upcoming game against the Lions. That matchup will be followed by the team’s bye week, and Pederson expressed optimism (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco) Lawrence could be back in place in time for Jacksonville’s Week 13 game. The team will no doubt be cautious with the former No. 1 pick’s rehab process, but multiple weeks on the mend could help in his recovery to a notable degree.

The Jaguars sit at 2-8 on the year, so a second-half turnaround leading to postseason contention should not be expected. Lawrence’s long-term health is an obvious priority for the franchise given his five-year, $275MM extension signed this offseason. After the Clemson product played through a number of ailments late last season, it would come as no surprise if avoiding the risk of further injury received consideration in 2024. Having Lawrence in place would, on the other hand, give the Jags a chance to find better consistency and production on offense down the stretch – something which, in turn, could play a role in determining Pederson’s job security.

Mac Jones got the nod in Week 10, going 14-for-22 in a loss to the Vikings. The former Patriots first-rounder threw a pair of interceptions; he also committed one fumble and was sacked three times. An improved performance will be the goal against the 8-1 Lions, although expectations will likely be rather low on that front given the caliber of Jacksonville’s opposition. Recently re-acquired C.J. Beathard will dress as Jones’ backup for at least one more contest before a potential post-bye Lawrence return.

Trevor Lawrence is dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, and it could lead to missed time. The Jaguars’ franchise quarterback will likely be out for Week 10, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Lawrence is weighing his options at this point and is currently considered day to day. If he were to miss Jacksonville’s next game, it would mark only the second time in his career he was unable to suit up for a contest. Surgery could be a consideration down the road, but Rapoport adds nothing is imminent on that front.

Injuries were an issue for much of last season in Lawrence’s case, and his play when on the field did match expectations as Jacksonville fell short of a postseason berth. The 2024 campaign has also not gone according to plan, and with a 2-7 record the Jags are once again on track to miss the playoffs. A cautious approach with respect to Lawrence’s recovery process would thus come as no surprise.

The former No. 1 pick’s passer rating for 2024 (87.9) is the lowest mark of his career since his rookie season, and his 11:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio leaves plenty to be desired. Jacksonville’s offense is already notably shorthanded with wideout Christian Kirk out for the season, and the unit would face an even steeper challenge against the Vikings if Lawrence were to be sidelined as well. Given the latter’s $55MM-per-year extension worked out this offseason, a long-term outlook with respect to his recovery would be sensible.

Provided Lawrence does indeed miss out for Week 10, Mac Jones will be in line to get the start in his place. The offseason trade acquisition has played only 17 snaps so far this year, but that could change in the immediate future. Jacksonville reunited with C.J. Beathard yesterday, a move which gives the team depth under center if needed. Lawrence’s status over the coming days and (especially if surgery does become a possibility) beyond will be worth following closely.

A number of quarterbacks have landed extensions during their first year of eligibility. Trevor Lawrence is aiming to join that group by hammering out a deal with the Jaguars this offseason, and progress is believed to have been made on that front recently.

The former No. 1 pick has had an up-and-down tenure to date in the NFL. Lawrence nevertheless represents a young signal-caller in line to approach the top of the position’s market on his next pact. Joe Burrow currently leads the way with an annual average value of $55MM, and Jared Goff‘s recent extension ranks second at $53MM. A Lawrence accord could fall between the two in terms of value while consisting of a similar structure to the Goff pact.

The 24-year-old is under contract through 2025 given the Jaguars’ decision to pick up his fifth-year option. That gives team and player plenty of time to reach an agreement, but Lawrence’s preference would be to have a deal worked out before training camp next month. Jacksonville is moving with urgency on the negotiation front, so that goal may be attainable.

“That would be ideal just to put it behind us and keep moving and feel good about that going into training camp,” Lawrence said of an extension (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). “But either way, like I said before, I have the same job.”

Lawrence has been in attendance for the Jaguars’ OTAs, and that will no doubt continue through mandatory minicamp. His camp along with Jacksonville’s front office will have time after that to continue negotiations, especially with the team’s other top financial priority (an extension for edge rusher Josh Allen) out of the way. Other extensions for the likes of Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa could take place along a similar timeline to the Lawrence one, and it will be interesting to see the effects each deal has on the other.