Tag: trevor lawrence

Surgeries completed for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, TE Evan Engram

Surgeries completed for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, TE Evan Engram

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and tight end Evan Engram had successful surgeries to address season-ending injuries this week, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday.

Lawrence underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, which he suffered in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

After missing two games due to the injury, Lawrence returned to play in Week 13 against Houston but sustained a concussion on an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

The combination of injuries led Jacksonville to place Lawrence on its injured reserve on Dec. 4, ending his season. He cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol on Sunday, allowing him to schedule his shoulder operation for Tuesday.

Engram hurt his shoulder against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, which he was originally expected to play through, per Pederson. However, testing revealed Engram suffered a labrum injury that required surgery, which he had on Monday.

Like Lawrence, Engram was moved to the Jaguars’ injured reserve on Saturday, ending his campaign.

“Everything was positive in both players’ cases and just now looking forward to recovery time,” Pederson said Wednesday.

Lawrence finished his season having completed 172-of-284 passing for 2,045 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and rushed for 119 yards and three scores, in 10 starts.

Engram, who also missed Weeks 2-5 with a hamstring injury, caught 47 passes for 365 yards and one touchdown in nine starts.

While it is unclear if Lawrence and Engram will be cleared to participate in organized team activities (OTAs), which occurred in May this past offseason, Pederson anticipates both players recovering fully from their surgeries by sometime this spring.

“Don’t know that yet. It’s hard to put a timeframe on it, you don’t want to rush it,” said Pederson. “I guess the thing is too, in both cases, they’re not long-term, lengthy-type surgeries [or] recovery time. So, at some point this spring they’ll be ready to go.”

Trevor Lawrence pens note to Jaguars fans after season-ending injuries

Trevor Lawrence pens note to Jaguars fans after season-ending injuries

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence addressed his season-ending injuries in an Instagram post Tuesday, sending a public message to fans for the first time since being placed on Jacksonville’s injured reserve on Dec. 4.

Lawrence suffered a concussion from an illegal tackle by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in Jacksonville’s Week 13 loss to Houston. He remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol as of Wednesday, per Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson.

Lawrence entered the game with a left shoulder injury, an AC joint sprain, that forced him to miss Jacksonville’s matchups with the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions in Weeks 10-11. He intends to have surgery to treat the injury after clearing the concussion protocol.

“Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,’ ” Lawrence wrote.

“I’m going to miss being out there with my brothers the rest of the way. This isn’t at all what I pictured this year looking like. I’ve been leaning heavy on this verse lately. I don’t know why things happen sometimes but I do believe how you respond is more important than what happens.

“I’m so blessed to be able to do what I do and I’m not going to let some adversity muddy the vision! Better days are ahead.”

Detailing the quarterback’s recovery process, Pederson noted Wednesday that Lawrence has remained around the team while in the concussion protocol.

“He still has to go through the steps,” Pederson explained. “Still comes in the building every day and just goes through it as if he were getting ready to play a game this weekend.

“But I think in this case too, you’re not going to speed anything up. You’re not going to either push him through or rush him through because you’ve still got to be careful with all of it, but at the same time, we kind of go at his pace and let him, how he feels and his symptoms and all that kind of stuff, and just go step-by-step.”

Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Jaguars in June, completed 172-of-284 passes for 2,045 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions over 10 starts this season. He also rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

In 60 games since becoming Jacksonville’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Lawrence has completed 63.3% of his passes for 13,815 yards with 69 touchdowns and 46 interceptions. He has added 1,083 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing.

Deebo Samuel weighs in on Azeez Al-Shaair being suspended for hit on Trevor Lawrence

Deebo Samuel, a former teammate of Azeez Al-Shaair, weighs in on the Houston Texans linebacker’s suspension for three games.

Several former NFL players have criticized Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit against Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel is more on the side of his former teammate.

Samuel recently on his podcast, said that Al-Shaair isn’t the type of player to act with malice while on the field. The hit seemed to be a bang-bang play and far from the perceived character that’s currently being painted about his on-field demeanor.

The two were rookies entering San Francisco in 2019 and shared a locker room for four seasons before Al-Shaair left in free agency following the 2022 campaign.

“I know Azeez very well. He’s one of my brothers, for sure. I talked to him afterward and it wasn’t intentional,” Samuel said.

“That clip doesn’t show who he is as a person. If I’m him, and as you’ve seen, he put out an apology to Trevor Lawrence. He apologized to everybody. That kind of shows the person he really is. At the end of the day, he’s not trying to take anybody out. He’s trying to play the way that he was always been taught to play it. 

“If I’m him in that situation as I’m getting up and somebody is beating on the back of my head, it’s like, ‘I got to get in defense mode.’ With his apology and me knowing him personally and knowing it wasn’t intentional, I just think 3-games is a little much.”

Samuel did defend Lawrence, who left the game with a concussion, and the actions of his teammates came to his defense. Even if Al-Shaair was genuinely trying to make a clean hit, anyone who hit his quarterback would be put in line.

“If you hit my quarterback like that, it’s up. I’m crashing, 100%, no question,” Samuel said. “I get that part.”

Samuel also mentioned that defensive players often receive stricter suspension ramifications compared to offensive players who deliver similar hits against opposing players.

“If it was me, would you suspend me for three games?” Samuel asked. “If that was [Baltimore Ravens running back] Derrick Henry, would he be suspended for three games? I think it’s more so about protecting the quarterbacks.”

Al-Shaair, who signed a three-year deal this offseason with the Texans, will be eligible to return in Week 18’s season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

The Texans return to NRG Stadium to take on the Miami Dolphins this Sunday at noon CT.

Trevor Lawrence’s teammate explains support of Azeez Al-Shaair

Arik Armstead explains why he liked Azeez Al-Shaair’s tweet despite being a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A former teammate of Azeez Al-Shaair explained why he supported the Houston Texans linebacker while also being a teammate of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Veteran defensive tackle Arik Armstead liked Al-Shaair’s Instagram post following the NFL’s decision to deny his appeal of the three-game suspension he received for an illegal hit on Lawrence during Sunday’s 23-20 win.

Armstead, who signed a three-year deal with Jacksonville following his release from the San Francisco 49ers this spring, addressed the tweet with media Thursday afternoon. While he felt for Lawrence, who now will miss the remainder of the regular season because of a shoulder injury, Armstead said he also felt for Al-Shaair, who was in a rocky position after a bang-bang play.

The two were teammates in San Francisco for four years before Al-Shaair left in the 2023 offseason.

“First off, I love Trevor. He’s a great teammate. Great player. Great person. And what happened, seeing him get injured, was terrible,” Armstead said. “You never want to see that happen to a teammate of yours.

“Also, Azeez is a great friend of mine. We were locker mates for four years, right next to each other, and we have a great relationship as well too.”

Al-Shaair, who won’t be able to return until Week 18’s season finale against the Titans, apologized to Lawrence via social media on Monday. A day later, the NFL slapped him with the suspension, stating that “lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play.”

Armstead took offense to how the NFL and fans portrayed his former teammate in the public eye. He also wasn’t a fan of how multiple people attacked Al-Shaair’s Muslim faith on social media, which prompted the liking of the post captioned in Al-Shaair’s “villainous” narrative surrounding his on-field play.

“To see the ridicule and (Al-Shaair) being ostracized the way he is and the remarks people are making about him is also terrible,” Armstead said. “I feel like I can support my great teammate Trevor andhoust I can also support a friend in a rough situation when people are being racist towards him and a lot of hateful things are being said about him.”

Armstead didn’t defend the actions of Al-Shaair that led to his ejection, but he did call the sixth-year linebacker a “good dude.” He also mentioned that he spoke to Lawrence about the situation, who understood why he was trying to support both sides.

“Seeing a teammate get injured, but also having a friend of mine be in a situation like that,” Armstead said. “He was definitely in the wrong and made a bang-bang play that I wish that (he) could have back.”

The Texans return from the bye week to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 at NRG Stadium.

Doug Pederson clears the air on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence’s season-ending injury

Doug Pederson let it be known that Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit against Trevor Lawrence was not why he was placed on the injured reserve.

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair drilled Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he began to slide during the second quarter of Sunday’s 23-20 win.

That’s not why the Jaguars are placing him on the second-ending injured reserve.

Third-year coach Doug Pederson told reporters Friday that Lawrence’s arrival on the reserved list is because of his lingering issue with his non-throwing, not the head injury.

“The reason for IR is not the injury from Sunday,” Pederson said. “It’s not that. It’s more the shoulder.”

Lawrence, who was ruled out with a concussion for the second half of Week 13’s game, missed two games after hurting his left shoulder during Week 9’s loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. He played through the pain while trying to mount a comeback but missed back-to-back weeks of practice.

Mac Jones, who took over for Lawrence and nearly led a comeback in the fourth quarter, replaced Lawrence for the two games while the former No. 1 overall pick was recovering. He’s expected to take over for the remainder of the regular season.

Pederson said that Lawrence now plans to undergo surgery on his left shoulder, thus ending a potential return in Week 18. He also acknowledged that the concussion wasn’t mutually exclusive from the IR placement, but  Lawrence would have likely missed Week 14’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

“The injury Sunday doesn’t help, right?” Pederson said. “But it’s just the right decision right now to go ahead and just shut him down and let him get fully healed. Clear the protocol first and then tackle the other injury later on. So that’s our main focus right now, to make sure he’s 100% and get him healthy and get himself ready for the offseason.”

Al-Shaair, who’s suspended for three games because of the hit and later ejection, apologized to Lawrence on social media Monday morning. Pederson said Lawrence’s shoulder “didn’t get any worse” because of the hit.

In 10 games, Lawrence completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,045 yards and 11 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Jacksonville agreed with Lawrence before the start of the 2024 season on a five-year, $275 million extension, which includes a $37.5 million signing bonus and $142 million fully guaranteed

“Where we are in our season, it’s a chance for him to get healthy right now as he looks into the offseason and next season as well.” Pederson said.

Al-Shaair, who appealed his suspension but was denied by NFLPA representative Ramon Foster, will return for the team’s season finale against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.

Jaguars vs. Titans: Key matchups

Jaguars vs. Titans: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars have faced the worst-case scenario of worst-case scenarios the way this season has gone, from playoff expectations in the preseason to likely possessing the No. 1 overall draft choice for the third time in five years.

The 2-10 Jaguars enter Week 14 with the worst record in the league. But they have a chance to put smiles on fans’ faces as they are set to take on the 3-9 Tennesee Titans in an AFC South matchup in Nashville.

Jaguars Wire takes a look at the key matchups that could determine the outcome of Jacksonville vs. Tennessee.

Titans QB Will Levis vs. Jaguars QB Mac Jones

This game will come down to which quarterback makes the fewest mistakes.

Jones and Levis are two quarterbacks who received plenty of hype and attention in their respective drafts but have failed to meet their expectations as signal-callers. Both have been underwhelming since entering the league and their futures with their current teams seem uncertain.

However, both players will square off in this AFC South rivalry game. Mac Jones has thrown for 484 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in the last three games, two as the starter and in relief of Lawrence against Houston last week.

Levis has played much better since returning from a throwing shoulder injury in Week 10 than before he missed time.

Levis has thrown for 960 yards with seven touchdowns and just two interceptions in the last four weeks, compared to 699 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions in the first five games of the season. He is making fewer mistakes and operating fairly cleanly.

Jones must protect the ball better for the Jaguars’ offense to beat against the No. 1 passing defense in the NFL. It starts with better consistency and rhythm as a signal-caller to give his playmakers, including rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr., a chance to win downfield, where Jacksonville succeeded in the passing game when Lawrence was available.

If Jones can play a mistake-free game, the Jaguars’ chances of a win increase significantly.

Titans DL Jeffery Simmons vs. Jaguars interior OL

An area of strength for Jacksonville has been its interior line play with guards Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff along with center Mitch Morse. This week they will be taking on a game-wrecker in defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, one of the best players in the NFL at his position.

That said, Simmons is experiencing a relatively down year. He has generated a 9.7 percent pressure rate this season, ranking No. 49 of 107 qualifying defensive linemen, per NFL Pro.

Still, Simmons has reminded teams just how explosive and quick he can be off the line of scrimmage with 11 quick pressures (tied for tenth-most in the NFL) and 15 run stuffs (No. 3), according to Next Gen Stats.

The Jaguars interior offensive line has allowed some of the lowest pressure rates at right guard (3.9%) and left guard (4.4%) and the fifth-fewest run stuffs in the league (44). The latter stat has allowed the Jaguars to remain in the top half in rushing yards per attempt, at 4.5.

Simmons, along with Titans rookie standout T’Vondre Sweat (27 run stops), will be a big challenge for the Jaguars offensive line.

Yet, if the combo of Scherff, Morse and Cleveland can win at the line of scrimmage Sunday, Jones should play with clean pockets while running backs Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr. get to tout the ball for decent chunk gains, potentially leading to win No. 3 for Jacksonville.

Doug Pederson explains Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence going on IR

Doug Pederson explains Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence going on IR

Trevor Lawrence’s 2024 season is over, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson confirmed on Friday.

The Jaguars placed Lawrence, their starting quarterback, on injured reserve Wednesday, sidelining him for at least four games as he recovers from a concussion suffered against the Houston Texans on Sunday and a left shoulder injury from Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The latter injury knocked Lawrence out of two games, Weeks 10-11, against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.

With Jacksonville now 2-10 and eliminated from postseason contention, Pederson explained that the timing of Lawrence’s combination of injuries made shutting down his season sensible.

“Obviously, the reason for IR is not the injury from Sunday. It’s not that. It’s more the shoulder,” Pederson said. “But, you know, it’s obviously, listen, where we are in our season, you know? The chance for him to get healthy right now as he looks into the offseason and next season as well, getting healthy.

“Obviously the injury Sunday doesn’t help, right? But it’s just, I think the right decision right now to go ahead and just shut him down and let him get fully healed. Clear the protocol first, obviously, and then tackle the other injury later on. So that’s our main focus right now, to make sure he’s 100% and get him healthy and get himself ready for the offseason.”

Lawrence plans to have surgery on his shoulder injury, a sprained AC joint, in the coming weeks after clearing the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Pederson acknowledged that Lawrence did not aggravate his shoulder sprain against the Texans but suggested the quarterback was likely to undergo surgery to treat the injury at some point. His concussion accelerated that timeline.

“It didn’t get any worse. He didn’t take any shots or hits on it,” Pederson noted.

“It’s just a matter of, it was gonna probably eventually come to that, you know, surgery. But now with everything and where our season is too, this is the — there’s never a good time, but if there is a time, this would be it.”

Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with Jacksonville in June, completed 172-of-284 passes for 2,045 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 starts this season. He added 119 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

Cam Heyward calls out NFL over Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair suspension

Cam Heyward shares his thoughts on Azeez Al-Shaair’s suspension, questioning the NFL’s consistency in enforcing suspensions and fines.

One of the biggest stories in the NFL right now is Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair being suspended for three games following a late hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, a hit that forced Jacksonville to place their quarterback on IR. Steelers DT Cam Heyward, one of the NFL’s most respected veteran defenders, shared his thoughts on the matter on the most recent episode of his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward.

Heyward acknowledged the hit on Lawrence was dirty but described it as a “bang-bang call”, arguing defenders must be cautious of fake slides and whether a QB is truly giving themselves up.

Another interesting argument that Heyward made, one that no one seems to be mentioning, is that the NFL’s Vice President of the Policy and Rules administration, John Runyan, has more than his fair share of ‘dirty’ plays.  The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle argued that Runyan and the NFL suspending Azeez was like “the pot calling the kettle black.”

While Azeez’s appeal was denied, Heyward raises important questions about whether the NFL is consistent in enforcing suspensions and fines.

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Report: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence planning shoulder surgery

Report: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence planning shoulder surgery

Now on Jacksonville’s injured reserve after suffering a concussion on an illegal hit in Week 13, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is planning to undergo surgery to repair an AC joint sprain in his left, non-throwing shoulder in the coming weeks, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.

The combination of injuries will end Lawrence’s 2024 season, Rapoport reported.

Lawrence missed the Jaguars’ Week 10-11 matchups with the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions due to his shoulder injury, which he suffered in Jacksonville’s 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

Lawrence returned to play on Sunday against Houston. He scrambled for a six-yard gain on his 19th snap of the game and collided with launching Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to conclude the run, inducing his concussion.

Al-Shaair was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the tackle and ejected from the game. The NFL suspended Al-Shaair for three games without pay on Tuesday.

Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with Jacksonville in June, finishes his 2024 season having completed 172-of-284 passes for 2,045 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 starts. He added 119 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

Jaguars vs. Titans: Initial injury reports

Jaguars vs. Titans: Initial injury reports

Find the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans’ initial injury reports for their Week 14, AFC South matchup below.

Jaguars injury report

  • OL Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — limited
  • LB Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) — limited
  • CB Tyson Campbell (thigh) — did not participate
  • P Logan Cooke (left knee) — did not participate
  • LS Ross Matiscik (hamstring) — did not participate

Analysis: The Jaguars did not include starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence on their injured report, as he was placed on their injured reserve minutes before the report was released Wednesday afternoon. Lawrence will miss at least Jacksonville’s next four games and potentially the rest of the season.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson called starting cornerback Tyson Campbell “day-to-day” with a quadriceps injury on Monday, suffered against the Houston Texans in Week 13. Campbell did not practice Wednesday.

Neither Jaguars starting punter Logan Cooke nor starting long snapper Ross Matiscik practiced Wednesday as they battle lower-body injuries suffered against the Texans on Sunday.

Titans injury report

  • CB Chidobe Awuzie (groin) — full
  • WR Tyler Boyd (foot) — limited
  • OT Jaelyn Duncan (hamstring) — limited
  • OT Leroy Watson IV (back) — limited
  • OG Peter Skoronski (foot) — did not participate
  • DT Jeffrey Simmons (not injury related/rest) — did not participate
  • NT T’Vondre Sweat (shoulder) — did not participate
  • LB Kenneth Murray (hamstring) — did not participate
  • LB James Williams (knee) — did not participate
  • CB Roger McCreary (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: Six Titans starters appeared on Tennessee’s injury report to begin Week 14: Wide receiver Tyler Boyd, left guard Peter Skoronski, right tackle Leroy Watson IV, defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, linebacker Kenneth Murray and nickel cornerback Roger McCreary.

Boyd and Watson practiced in a limited fashion, while Skoronski, Sweat, Murray and McCreary were unable to participate.