Former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne were among the Jacksonville Jaguars players held out of the team’s first preseason game last Thursday night, the Hall of Fame Game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Canton, Ohio.
But will the former Tiger stars suit up in the Jaguars’ second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at 7 p.m. Friday in Jacksonville?
Jags offensive coordinator Press Taylor was asked about whether Lawrence will play Friday, though he was tight-lipped on what the team plans to do and who will get the start at the quarterback position.
”We’ll see … that’s stuff we’re still getting into,” Taylor said prior to the Jags’ practice Monday, via Jacksonville.com. “There’s a chance but we’ll continue to have those conversations.”
The last time Lawrence took the field for a game was against the Indianapolis Colts in the final week of the 2021 regular season on Jan. 9, when he went 23-of-32 passing for 223 yards and threw for two touchdowns while leading his team to a 26-11 victory that eliminated the Colts from playoff contention.
Overall, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards and 12 touchdowns with 17 interceptions in 17 games last season.
As for Etienne, there hasn’t been any indication yet on whether he will play in Friday’s preseason game, either.
Etienne’s last time in game action came against the New Orleans Saints in the second week of the 2021 preseason on Aug. 23, when he played just a few snaps before leaving the game with what ended up being a season-ending Lisfranc injury that required surgery.
In camp, Etienne has shown off his speed, explosiveness and other traits that enticed the Jags to take him with the 25th overall pick in last year’s draft, and excitement has certainly been building for his 2022 debut.
Whether that comes against the Browns on Friday remains to be seen. But make no mistake — he’s ready to return to the field and show what he can do in a game now that he’s fully healthy again.
“Yes sir. I feel like I haven’t played in forever,” Etienne said when asked if he wants to play against the Browns on Friday, via Yahoo! Sports. “Any chance I get to showcase my skill, I’m ready. Hell yeah, I want to play.”
Wednesday update:
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that he plans to play the team’s starters a little bit, including Lawrence and Etienne.
“This week, I’m going to let the starters play, get their feet wet a little bit in this football game,” Pederson said, via NFL.com. “A couple series. Nothing too crazy, nothing too long, but want to get them the feel of the game and get them in there and get them working in game situations.”
