Trevor Lawrence Injury: What We Know About the Jags' QB the Morning After

During Monday Night Football, the theme of injured quarterbacks was unavoidable. And while we all knew that Joe Burrow would be spending the evening on the sidelines, no one expected Trevor Lawrence to join him.

In the fourth quarter, the Jacksonville Jaguars QB went down and struggled to return to his feet. His pain and frustration were obvious and, after the broadcast cut to commercial, we saw him being helped down the tunnel. He didn't return to the field, and Jacksonville ended up losing in overtime.

But now, the dust has somewhat settled, and a new NFL week is looming. With that in mind, let's break down what we do—and do not—know about Lawrence's injury the morning after.

What happened to Trevor Lawrence?

When you're thinking about NFL injuries, it's easy to focus on big hits and crunching collisions. Lawrence's injury, however, came from a more innocuous play.

In the fourth quarter of the MNF contest, the Jags quarterback dropped back into the pocket to throw a pass. Lineman Walker Little, however, was pushed back toward his teammate and accidentally stepped on his ankle. Lawrence went down, and his body fell backward over the leg in question.

As mentioned above, the signal-caller was in apparent pain and slammed his helmet to the turf. The broadcast later showed him being helped down the tunnel; he didn't re-enter the game despite the contest stretching into overtime.

What Is the Diagnosis As of Now?

Even in the best of times, NFL injury reports aren't the most forthcoming. In Lawrence's case, though, we know even less.

During the game itself, the club listed their starting quarterback as questionable with an ankle injury. After the final whistle, head coach Doug Pederson didn't have an update.

NFL insiders, however, did provide some insight. Both Tom Pelissero and Adam Schefter reported that Lawrence has a sprained ankle and will need to undergo further tests to determine the extent of his injury.

If you want to try and read the tea leaves from the NFL locker room, ESPN's Michael DiRocco noted that backup QB C.J. Beathard said that Lawrence was "in good spirits" after the game, although he was obviously "sore right now." The starter, however, was seen using crutches.

On Monday, though, Pederson did share an update. While he wasn't willing to put a timeline on Lawrence's return, he did confirm that the signal-caller had a high ankle sprain.

How Bad Could Lawrence's Injury Be?

In the grand scheme of things, an ankle sprain is obviously less serious than something like a broken leg. That doesn't mean that Lawrence will be good to go in a matter of days, though.

While we're still somewhat in limbo about the exact details of the injury, ankle sprains aren't a joke. Patrick Mahomes did play through a high ankle sprain during last season's playoffs, but that shouldn't be viewed as the norm. The Chiefs' signal-caller wasn't at his best, and KC's season was on the line.

To illustrate the range of potential outcomes, Cooper Kupp suffered a high ankle sprain during the 2022 season and required surgery. Saquon Barkley on the other hand, only missed three weeks during the 2023 campaign with his own injury.

As mentioned above, the Jaguars' head coach wasn't willing to put a timeline on his quarterback's return to the lineup. If previous NFL cases are any indication, though, Lawrence will probably be sidelined for at least a few games.

But, as always, the caveat is that we're talking about a professional athlete with the best medical care around at his disposal. If anyone can recover more quickly than expected, it would be an NFL player with something on the line.

Who Is the Jaguars' Backup Quarterback?

So, what happens if Lawrence is out of action for a while? Well, the Jaguars could try to find a veteran replacement, a la Joe Flacco, but throwing a new signing into the deep end at this point of the season is a risk. In all likelihood, the club will trust their current backup, C.J. Beathard.

Beathard, who finished the game on Monday night and completed nine of 10 passes for 63 yards, has been around the block. He's appeared in 30 games since 2017 and is in his third year with Jacksonville.

And while his responsibilities against the Bengals consisted primarily of throwing short passes, head coach Doug Pederson says he trusts the backup.

"We'll see where Trevor's at first, but we've got 100% confidence in C.J.," Pederson said. "He's a veteran player. He's played a lot of football, and if he happens to be the guy then we'll get behind him and support him."

How Bad Are Things for the Jaguars?

It goes without saying that seeing your franchise quarterback on the turf in pain is never a positive. With that being said, though, the Jaguars could be uniquely positioned to cope with Lawrence's absence.

If we assume that the quarterback has a bad ankle sprain without any structural damage, his priority should be returning for the postseason. And given that the playoffs won't begin until January 13, 2024, that gives him ample time to recover.

But wait, you might be saying, what about the games between now and then? Lawrence can't afford to sit around with his feet up. The Jaguars need to win games.

And while that's largely true, Jacksonville does have some wiggle room. The New York Times' Upshot currently gives the club a 97% chance of making the postseason, and things are aided by an easy upcoming schedule.

A date with the Baltimore Ravens looms large, but games against the Titans and Panthers should be manageable regardless of who's under center. Meetings with the Browns and Buccaneers will be a bit tougher, but they're still winnable contests.

Would it be a drag to go from chasing a first-round bye and home-field advantage to having to play on the road in the wild-card round? Sure, but reaching the postseason with a healthy Lawrence would still be a positive outcome in a less-than-ideal situation.

Will that scenario go out the window if the QB either returns promptly or is done for the year? Sure, but, until we get a more concrete timeline, it looks like the Jags are capable of handling the ambiguity.

Correction 12/5/2023, 11:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct a misspelling of Trevor Lawrence's name.

Update 12/5/2023 13:52 ET: The article was updated with more information from Doug Pederson.