Florida's Jacksonville -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' season took a further turn for the worse on Sunday when linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans tackled quarterback Trevor Lawrence, causing him to suffer a concussion that his teammates referred to as a "dirty hit."
After missing two games due to a left shoulder ailment, Lawrence was returning to action on Sunday. The Jaguars inked a five-year, $275 million contract with their franchise quarterback in the offseason, and the concussion has raised concerns about whether they should bench Lawrence for the remainder of the season rather than run the risk of further damage.
With the 23–20 loss against the Texans, the Jaguars are currently 2–10 and were formally knocked out of the AFC South. They would be out of the running for the playoffs if they suffered another defeat.
What is known about the injury sustained by Lawrence?
Late in the first half, Lawrence slid at the conclusion of a 6-yard rush, and Al-Shaair struck him in the head. Al-Shaair was retaliated against by Jaguars tight end Evan Engram, which led to the first of two altercations between the teams. By the time the scrum was over, officials had given Engram a personal foul penalty and expelled Al-Shaair for an illegal hit to the quarterback's head and neck.
Lawrence was flat on his back with his arms in what looked like the fencing posture, an involuntary position that happens after a brain injury, when the fight broke out a few yards away. After spending a few minutes on the field, Lawrence was finally removed on a cart, riding in front while sitting up. After that, the team declared him out for the remainder of the match due to a concussion.
After the game, Pederson said he hadn't yet spoken to the team physicians, so he didn't have much information other than confirming Lawrence is in the concussion protocol. However, he claimed to have spoken with Lawrence at halftime and to have assured him that "Trevor's going to be fine."
Following the game, Lawrence and his wife, Marissa, were spotted leaving the locker area. On Sunday evening, he wrote on the social media site "X" that he was "home and feeling better."
He may need to go through the process, which could take many days or weeks. It's reasonable to assume that Lawrence won't have a good chance of playing against Tennessee on Sunday if he doesn't return to practice until late in the week, as Pederson stated earlier in the season that he discovered during Lawrence's run of injuries last season (ankle, knee, shoulder, and a concussion) that he needs practice to feel comfortable playing.
Could Lawrence be benched for the season by the team?
After the game, Pederson stated that while it would make sense, it was too soon to consider it. Lawrence had missed the team's last two games after spraining his left AC joint against the Eagles in Week 9. He stated earlier this week that he wouldn't rule out shoulder surgery before the season concluded, but he isn't entirely healthy.
Given that the season is all but finished and the Jaguars are down two starting receivers (Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis), they might not want to take any more chances with his health.
Is this the first concussion that Lawrence has had?
This marks his third known diagnosed concussion since his three-year tenure at Clemson and his second with the Jaguars.
Lawrence started the Jaguars' next game against Tampa Bay despite suffering a concussion during the team's Week 15 loss to Baltimore in December of last year. During his freshman year at Clemson (2018), Lawrence also sustained a concussion against Syracuse, but he resumed play the following week against Wake Forest.
Earlier this season, Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, demonstrated the fencing posture after suffering a concussion. The team enabled him to return gradually after he was placed on injured reserve for five weeks. Tagovailoa had suffered three concussions in the past. The Jaguars may decide to take a similar approach and rest Lawrence for the remainder of the season, depending on how severe his concussion was.
If Lawrence is down for an extended period of time, will Mac Jones remain the backup?
Indeed. The Jaguars are genuinely at a loss for options. Three days after Lawrence hurt his non-throwing shoulder against Philadelphia, the team re-signed C.J. Beathard on November 6 to offer quarterback depth. Beathard was Jones' backup against Minnesota and Detroit.
Beathard was the backup quarterback on Sunday and may have played against the Texans if Jones had been injured. Beathard had been Lawrence's backup from 2021–2023. During Lawrence's absence, Jones had made two starts but struggled, throwing for a total of 249 yards and no touchdowns with three interceptions while guiding the Jaguars to losses to Detroit and Minnesota by a combined 13 points.
After Lawrence left, Jones threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in his best game of the season against the Texans.
Willow Stella
Florida's Jacksonville -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' season took a further turn for the worse on Sunday when linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans tackled quarterback Trevor Lawrence, causing him to suffer a concussion that his teammates referred to as a "dirty hit."
After missing two games due to a left shoulder ailment, Lawrence was returning to action on Sunday. The Jaguars inked a five-year, $275 million contract with their franchise quarterback in the offseason, and the concussion has raised concerns about whether they should bench Lawrence for the remainder of the season rather than run the risk of further damage.
With the 23–20 loss against the Texans, the Jaguars are currently 2–10 and were formally knocked out of the AFC South. They would be out of the running for the playoffs if they suffered another defeat.
What is known about the injury sustained by Lawrence?
Late in the first half, Lawrence slid at the conclusion of a 6-yard rush, and Al-Shaair struck him in the head. Al-Shaair was retaliated against by Jaguars tight end Evan Engram, which led to the first of two altercations between the teams. By the time the scrum was over, officials had given Engram a personal foul penalty and expelled Al-Shaair for an illegal hit to the quarterback's head and neck.
Lawrence was flat on his back with his arms in what looked like the fencing posture, an involuntary position that happens after a brain injury, when the fight broke out a few yards away. After spending a few minutes on the field, Lawrence was finally removed on a cart, riding in front while sitting up. After that, the team declared him out for the remainder of the match due to a concussion.
After the game, Pederson said he hadn't yet spoken to the team physicians, so he didn't have much information other than confirming Lawrence is in the concussion protocol. However, he claimed to have spoken with Lawrence at halftime and to have assured him that "Trevor's going to be fine."
Following the game, Lawrence and his wife, Marissa, were spotted leaving the locker area. On Sunday evening, he wrote on the social media site "X" that he was "home and feeling better."
He may need to go through the process, which could take many days or weeks. It's reasonable to assume that Lawrence won't have a good chance of playing against Tennessee on Sunday if he doesn't return to practice until late in the week, as Pederson stated earlier in the season that he discovered during Lawrence's run of injuries last season (ankle, knee, shoulder, and a concussion) that he needs practice to feel comfortable playing.
Could Lawrence be benched for the season by the team?
After the game, Pederson stated that while it would make sense, it was too soon to consider it. Lawrence had missed the team's last two games after spraining his left AC joint against the Eagles in Week 9. He stated earlier this week that he wouldn't rule out shoulder surgery before the season concluded, but he isn't entirely healthy.
Given that the season is all but finished and the Jaguars are down two starting receivers (Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis), they might not want to take any more chances with his health.
Is this the first concussion that Lawrence has had?
This marks his third known diagnosed concussion since his three-year tenure at Clemson and his second with the Jaguars.
Lawrence started the Jaguars' next game against Tampa Bay despite suffering a concussion during the team's Week 15 loss to Baltimore in December of last year. During his freshman year at Clemson (2018), Lawrence also sustained a concussion against Syracuse, but he resumed play the following week against Wake Forest.
Earlier this season, Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, demonstrated the fencing posture after suffering a concussion. The team enabled him to return gradually after he was placed on injured reserve for five weeks. Tagovailoa had suffered three concussions in the past. The Jaguars may decide to take a similar approach and rest Lawrence for the remainder of the season, depending on how severe his concussion was.
If Lawrence is down for an extended period of time, will Mac Jones remain the backup?
Indeed. The Jaguars are genuinely at a loss for options. Three days after Lawrence hurt his non-throwing shoulder against Philadelphia, the team re-signed C.J. Beathard on November 6 to offer quarterback depth. Beathard was Jones' backup against Minnesota and Detroit.
Beathard was the backup quarterback on Sunday and may have played against the Texans if Jones had been injured. Beathard had been Lawrence's backup from 2021–2023. During Lawrence's absence, Jones had made two starts but struggled, throwing for a total of 249 yards and no touchdowns with three interceptions while guiding the Jaguars to losses to Detroit and Minnesota by a combined 13 points.
After Lawrence left, Jones threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in his best game of the season against the Texans.