Trevor Lawrence will miss a game due to an injury for the first time in his National Football League (NFL) career on Sunday.
The Jacksonville Jaguars ruled out their third-year quarterback with a right shoulder injury ahead of a Week 17 meeting with the Carolina Panthers. Lawrence did not participate in practice all week because of the sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder, which he suffered in last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And now the Jaguars, losers of four consecutive games, will be without their star signal-caller with a chance to lock up a playoff spot.
Backup C.J. Beathard will make his first start since 2020, with the San Francisco 49ers, in Lawrence's absence.
Here's what else to know about Jacksonville's situation.
What Happened to Lawrence?
Lawrence said after a 30-12 loss to the Bucs last weekend that he hurt his shoulder while diving on a fourth-down run late in the third quarter.
"Reached for the first down and got hit out of bounds and just landed on it," the quarterback told reporters. "When I landed, I knew something was off. The next play, it kind of hurts to throw. I just wanted to finish the drive out. The two-point [try], you just could tell by the way I threw it that I couldn't really get my shoulder up good enough to really keep playing."
The Jaguars scored their first points of the day when Lawrence hit wide receiver Calvin Ridley for an 18-yard touchdown to close out that drive. But the next time the Jags took the field, with roughly 13.5 minutes to go in the game, Beathard was in as quarterback. Lawrence was initially listed as questionable to return with the shoulder injury, though his day was done.
Lawrence went 17-of-29 passing for 211 yards, a score, and two picks against the Bucs. Beathard completed 11 of his 15 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown in relief.
Lawrence's Streak of Consecutive Starts Ends
A variety of injuries have hampered Lawrence throughout the 2023 campaign. The 24-year-old sprained his left knee in Week 6, suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 13, and entered the concussion protocol after Week 15. In each of those instances, the former No. 1 overall pick bounced back to play the next week. Not this time.
This marks the first game Lawrence has missed since entering the NFL in 2021, snapping a streak of 49 consecutive starts. That was tied with Patrick Mahomes for the second-longest active streak among quarterbacks.
Jacksonville is being cautious with its franchise QB, even with the playoff picture taking shape.
"I think you've got to consider where we are in the season, what we have moving forward," head coach Doug Pederson said during a press conference on Thursday. "Obviously, the biggest thing, and we've talked about this too, is you don't want to risk further injury. That's the big thing."
Beathard's NFL Stats
Beathard has appeared in 12 games, including six this season, over his three seasons in Jacksonville backing up Lawrence. In that stretch, the 30-year-old has completed 76.2 percent of his passes for 239 yards, one touchdown, and a pick.
Sitting behind a durable QB has prevented Beathard from starting for some time.
The Iowa product last started for the 49ers, where he was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Beathard started 10 games over a four-season stretch in San Francisco from 2017-2020. The 49ers went 2-10 in those games. He has appeared in 31 total contests as a pro, completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 3,708 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
How Jaguars Can Clinch Playoffs in Week 17
The Jaguars (8-7) once controlled their destiny to the top seed in the AFC.
Four straight losses have changed that, though, and not having Lawrence against the Panthers complicates the team's path back to the win column. But Jacksonville can make the most of its tough circumstances by clinching a playoff berth on Sunday. The Jags will just need some help.
According to scenarios released by the NFL earlier this week, the Jaguars will clinch the AFC South title with a win over the Panthers on Sunday, plus losses by both the 8-7 Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. But there's an added wrinkle included in this Jaguars-Panthers clash. The Chicago Bears will clinch the No. 1 overall pick if Carolina (2-13) loses to Jacksonville. The Bears own the Panthers' first-round pick in the 2024 draft after sending the 2023 top selection to Carolina in exchange for a variety of draft capital and wide receiver D.J. Moore.
So the Jaguars can do the Bears a favor by winning on Sunday.
The Panthers-Jaguars game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday in Jacksonville as part of the penultimate week of the regular season. The game will air on CBS for fans in certain markets.
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Trevor Lawrence Shoulder Injury: What We Know About Jaguars QB's Status - Newsweek
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