Trevor Lawrence is probably out; Mac Jones would start against Vikings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence does not appear to play against the Vikings on Sunday because of his left shoulder injury, coach Doug Pederson said Friday morning.

“There is a tendency towards [Lawrence] not play,” Pederson said.

Mac Jones, whom the Jaguars acquired in a trade in March, will start against the Vikings if Lawrence is out. CJ Beathard, whom the Jaguars signed off the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad on Wednesday, would be Jones’ backup.

Lawrence is among eight players listed as questionable to play on Friday’s injury report, as are wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) and Gabe Davis (shoulder). Starting left guard Ezra Cleveland (ankle) and reserve defensive tackle Maason Smith (ankle) were ruled out.

This would be only the second game Lawrence has missed since the Jaguars selected him first overall in 2021. He did not play against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17 last season due to an injury to his right shoulder.

Lawrence was injured in the first half of Sunday’s 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles when he was hit while diving headfirst while running. He didn’t miss a play against the Eagles and had the Jaguars in position to score the go-ahead touchdown, but he was intercepted by linebacker Nakobe Dean in the end zone with 1:40 remaining.

Lawrence was limited in practice all week.

On his weekly radio show Thursday, Pederson hinted that Lawrence was unlikely to play against the Vikings because of what happened last season when the quarterback battled a concussion and ankle and shoulder injuries over the final six games. and could not fully recover. practice.

“What I learned last year is that if we know at the beginning of the week that he’s not going to play, let’s not play him,” Pederson said. “Let him recover, let him heal because you can’t miss those reps in practice. You’ve got to stay on track. You can’t necessarily miss a Wednesday, a Thursday, maybe even a Friday, a limited Friday, and wait out of the starting position. quarterback to play.”

Lawrence has thrown for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions this season. He has completed 61.3% of his passes, which is the second-lowest completion percentage of his career.

He has thrown for 13,774 yards with 69 touchdowns and 45 interceptions in 59 games with the Jaguars. He leads the NFL in total turnovers since entering the league (67), although he has been significantly better this season with just seven.

This would be Jones’ first start since Week 12 of 2023, when he completed 12 of 21 passes for 89 yards with two interceptions in the New England Patriots’ 10-7 loss to the New York Giants. He was benched for the Patriots’ final six games and was sent to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft.

Jones has appeared in two games this season, completing 6 of 9 passes for 28 yards and being sacked twice.

The Patriots selected Jones 15th overall in the 2021 draft, when Lawrence was the No. 1 pick, and he completed 66.1% of his passes for 8,946 yards with 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in 42 starts. He went 18-24 in New England and led the team to the playoffs, and in his rookie season he made the Pro Bowl.