In three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, backup quarterback C.J. Beathard has hardly seen the field. But for the first time since the 2020 season, back when he was still a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Beathard may finally make another NFL start.
Trevor Lawrence is hopeful he’ll recover from his ankle injury in time to play against the Cleveland Browns. It looks like an uphill climb, though.
That could mean an opportunity for Beathard to show what he can do Sunday. Yet, the Jaguars’ backup quarterback is pulling for Lawrence to make a speedy recovery and get back on the field sooner rather than later.
“He’s a friend first and that’s my biggest interest with him,” Beathard said after practice Wednesday. “I’m just gonna prepare as if I’m [playing], just like I do each and every other week, and if the opportunity comes, I’ll be ready to go. And if it doesn’t, I won’t bat an eye about it. I want him to be healthy, I want him to play and play well.
“I just gotta stay level-headed throughout the week and prepare as if I am gonna play. But at the end of the day, if I don’t, that means he’s healthy enough to play and that’s good for our team.”
Beathard, 30, threw just 13 passes in his first two seasons with the Jaguars, but the team valued the veteran’s presence enough to re-sign him to another two-year deal earlier this year. On Monday, he was called into action with the Jaguars down 31-28 with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The backup quarterback led the Jaguars into field goal range for a game-tying kick, but couldn’t do it again in overtime. Still, he completed nine of his 10 passes on the night for 63 yards.
It may take a similarly efficient performance to get anything going against a scary Browns defense Sunday. But no matter how unlikely a Lawrence return looks, Beathard isn’t convinced he’ll be the one under center.
“With Trevor, his routine of recovery and getting his body back right when he’s injured is second to none,” Beathard said. “It’s a credit to the training staff and strength staff, they do a great job at getting him ready to go. He’s definitely never counted out, I don’t care how bad it looks, or how hurt he really is, he’s a tough dude.”
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