In line with what the reports have been throughout the week, QB Trevor Lawrence’s shoulder injury is putting his status for the Week 18 game against the Tennessee Titans at risk. Head coach Doug Pederson spoke to the media on Friday morning and was asked about the status of his quarterback. That full video is posted on the Jaguars’ YouTube channel.
“He’s handled it great,” Pederson said of his quarterback being back out on the practice field. “It’ll be a big day for him tomorrow, so he’s progressing good. [The decision] could be all the way up to game-time.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a distinct stake in this situation as they would benefit from a Jaguars loss. If the Steelers win their Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens, then a Jaguars loss would qualify them for the playoffs regardless of other results. Lawrence sprained his right shoulder in Week 16 and sat out the first game of his career in Week 17 as a result. Just yesterday, Ian Rapoport said on The Insiders that it didn’t “seem like he’s in a great position to play.”
The Jaguars won their Week 17 game without Lawrence behind the efforts of backup QB C. J. Beathard. He didn’t play a great game, but it was mistake-free, and he did enough to win 26-0 against the Carolina Panthers. He had 17 completions on 24 attempts for 178 passing yards and three carries for 24 yards.
When asked how Lawrence would be labeled for the game, Pederson said, “I would expect him to be questionable.”
The injury is to his throwing shoulder which makes it extra tricky. Even if he is cleared to play, he likely won’t be at 100 percent.
“Today for me, will be probably the first time to see him throw harder than what he did yesterday or the day before,” Pederson said.
The fact that he hasn’t been throwing full speed all week is not a great sign for the Jaguars, but Lawrence has fought through a number of other injuries in the past and, as mentioned earlier, he has only missed one game in his NFL career. Given the magnitude of this game for the Jaguars’ playoff chances, Lawrence is probably doing everything possible to make a return.
The Jaguars were able to rely on their running game in the win over the Panthers. They had 155 rushing yards as a team and Travis Etienne Jr. had 102 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. The Titans technically have nothing to play for, but their head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier this week that they are highly motivated for a win.
A Steelers win and Jaguars loss isn’t the only path to the playoffs, but it looks like the most likely route right now with Lawrence being questionable. You can view the full list of scenarios here.
