The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced they are placing quarterback Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve after sustaining a concussion in their Week 13 matchup against the Houston Texans. With just five games remaining and the Jaguars well out of a playoff spot, the move likely puts an end to Lawrence’s season.
We have placed QB Trevor Lawrence on the Reserve/Injured list.
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 4, 2024
Lawrence was carted off the field in the second quarter against the Texans after linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair delivered a late hit during a Lawrence slide. The hit resulted in a scuffle between the Texans and Jaguars, leading to the ejection of Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Al-Shaair later apologized to Lawrence for the hit, claiming he “genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late.” The league suspended Al-Shaair for three games, a decision that the linebacker is appealing.
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NFL suspends Texans’ Al-Shaair 3 games following late hit on Lawrence
“It’s a tough situation. You still want to send a positive, good message to your team that we’re still fighting to the end,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Monday when initially discussing the idea of shutting Lawrence down for the season. “We still have five games left on the schedule, obviously. We’ll see. We’ve got to be smart, too, for his long-term health as well.”
If this is the end of Lawrence’s season (players on the reserve/injured list must sit out at least four games, meaning Lawrence could only return for the team’s Week 18 game), it will go down as one of his most challenging since his rookie season under Urban Meyer. In a campaign bogged down by multiple injuries, Lawrence finished 2-8 in the 10 games he started. His 60.6 completion percentage and 45.4 percent success rate as a passer are both his lowest since the 2021 rookie season, while his 204.5 passing yards per game and 5.96 percent rack rate are both career-worst marks.
Jacksonville will now turn to former New England Patriots quarterback and co-member of Lawrence’s draft class Mac Jones to carry the Jaguars to the end of the season. Jones is 18-26 as a starting quarterback, losing both his starts with the Jaguars this season. The fourth-year quarterback has gone 57-for-92 on the season for 512 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
At 2-10, Jacksonville now sits squarely in the hunt for the first overall pick in April. They also have the league’s easiest remaining schedule, according to FTN. The Jaguars play the Tennessee Titans twice, the New York Jets, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts over their last five games.
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